


Love Doesn’t Discriminate, Between the Winners and the Fakes, It Skates and It Skates and It Skates

by TheSecretUchiha



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Body Swap, But before Victor goes to Japan, Fluff, M/M, The timeline is a bit off..., and hamilton references, apparently I'm going through all the popular tropes now, ellen degeneres - Freeform, how did that happen?, just lots and lots of them being adorable, post-Sochi GPF, soul mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 05:29:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9420695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecretUchiha/pseuds/TheSecretUchiha
Summary: And we keep winning anyway, we laugh and we cry and we break and we accidentally swap bodies with Viktor Nikiforov just before he performs.(The soul mate body swap AU)~Yuuri opens his eyes and there’s an angry man speaking Russian at him and a crowd of expectant fans waiting for a performance by the best skater in the world.Phichit is going to love this one.





	1. The Winner and the Fake

**Author's Note:**

> So again, this fic is an accident, I was mean to be writing another one with more Phichit in but then this came to me and whoops. I'm sure there's many body swap AUs, I just hope nobody has done this yet but apologies if they have!  
> Also even more apologies for the awful hamilton pun titles, I worry this is going to be a thing...
> 
> The timeframe really doesn’t fit but just pretend it does ok? Thanks. So this is set after Sochi but before Viktor goes to Japan. Also slight age adjustments for Yuuri.
> 
> Let me know what you think! I'll try to write more soon!!

Yuuri really only had himself to blame. Well no, he couldn’t really control it either, it’s all down to fate, but he really SHOULD have considered that it was his 21st birthday. However he hadn’t really put much thought into his birthdays since he moved to Detroit, and to be honest he was much more excited to watch Viktor’s free skate at the Warsaw Cup.

Phichit and he had set up the room the night before, so when they woke up all that was left was to make the hot chocolate, warm the pastries and set up Phichit’s computer (because his was much faster than Yuuri’s) to watch the livestream of the event.

Since Viktor had (obviously) taken first place after the short program, he was last on the schedule to perform that day, so the two of them sat through the performances of the other skaters, making comments that were, mostly, positive in nature.

Yuuri was cheering for Chris, after he set a new personal best and took the top of the score board, when the camera finally cut to Viktor getting ready with his coach at the side of the rink.

The memory of Viktor offering him a picture, obviously not recognising him, sends a stabbing pain through his chest and his breath catches in his throat. For a second  
Yuuri wonders if this is what having your heartbroken feels like.

But then his breath still won’t come and his insides feel like they’re burning through his skin. His body curls in on itself and he faintly hears the laptop slipping off the bed and feels his hot chocolate soaking into his sweatpants where it’s fallen over.

Phichit gives a cry of shock and lunges after the falling laptop but thankfully it lands on a discarded cushion.

He sets it back up and turns to berate Yuuri on overreacting to seeing Viktor but the humour drains from his face when he notices Yuuri clutching his stomach in obvious pain.

“Yuuri?” he asks gently, reaching out to put a hand on the Japanese skater’s shoulder when suddenly his head shoots up to look at him.

For a split second they stare at each other and Phichit is extremely concerned by the look of confusion on his face.

Yuuri’s mouth opens.

“Где я?”

“oh my god.”

 

. . .

 

Yuuri opens his eyes when the pain suddenly disappears and he lets out a tiny screech of shock (which is much lower in pitch than it normally is) when he’s not in his dorm room anymore.

In fact, he would bet a year’s worth of katsudon that he’s not in Detroit anymore, or even the states. If asked he would put money on being in an icerink in Warsaw. Not that he’s ever been, or recognises the building itself (in fact most ice rinks end up looking pretty similar, there’s not much to really personalise) but the face of Viktor’s coach staring at him across the barrier that surrounds the ice gives it away.

He slips on the ice and grabs the side to hold himself up right.

_‘Oh my god what do I do? I’m VIKTOR! I am in **Viktor’s body** right now and his coach is speaking to me and Viktor is about to skate his free skate and I need to stop this before I embarrass Viktor completely. There’s no way he’ll ever look at me if I don’t fix this! Oh god what do I do? I don’t speak Russian, I don’t speak any Russian. No wait, I think I know piroshkev? Piroshky? Purashkin? No, that’s a type of food that won’t help, why do you always just think about food Yuuri?? Oh god, he’s saying something to me now but I don’t understand. He looks so angry. How do you say ‘please wait a minute I’m not Viktor I’m Yuuri and I don’t think you want me to skate right now because I am an embarrassment to my own country and I don’t think you should really let me represent Russia too’ in Russian? Wait doesn’t Viktor’s coach speak some English? I just need to get them to give me a minute…’_

Yuuri’s forces his brain to stop for a second and opens his mouth to finally interrupt what must be the coach’s pep talk when suddenly the older man is giving him a pat on the back and pushing him towards the centre of the ice.

He slips again and tries to go back.

The man’s name is Yakov, he’s sure of it, he really needs to – There’s more Russian again and oh god he looks even more annoyed that before, Yuuri’s heard stories about angry Russian people and he doesn’t want to know if they’re true!!

“Mr Yakov sir please wait a minute!”

The man just starts yelling and Yuuri is terrified. He takes the only escape he can to save himself (Viktor) from being beaten. It takes him a second to realise that escape route is to the centre of the ice and then the lights are dimming and there’s a spot light on him and Yuuri would assume this is a horrible nightmare except even if it is he doesn’t want to embarrass Viktor in it. And what if it’s not? What if he really is in Viktor’s body, really is actually Viktor Nikiforov’s soul mate, is about to skate his final performance at the Warsaw Cup and Viktor is now in his dorm room in Detroit with Phitchit watching his own body being controlled by another skater whose name he doesn’t even know because Yuuri isn’t anywhere near being on his level?

He slows his thoughts down enough to realise there’s an awkward silence starting to fill the hall, as he’s just been standing there like an idiot for twenty seconds now and the whispers sound like flies buzzing loudly through the hall.

Yuuri takes Viktor’s pose and a deep breath.

It’s ok. He’s seen this program. He’s PRACTICED this program, albeit secretly with no-one else around and he still hasn’t managed to nail that last jump combination but everyone’s watching now, and he can’t just skate off the ice again. He’ll just… do the best he can, then get his- Viktor’s coach to talk to the officials. Surely there must be some rule about this in the rulebook?

The music starts and his head raises to look up before he starts to turn.

He can do this.

Down onto one knee.

Now speed up, he needs to build up momentum before the first jump.

He pushes, turns, and – Perfect! 

He tries to remember all the motions Viktor normally does, he thinks he has them but a few might be wrong but as long as he conveys the emotions…

And another jump.

He jumps higher than ever and wonders if he’s ever been this calm when performing. 

Maybe it’s Viktor’s body giving him confidence, or maybe the pressure is just so high that it’s beyond the level of his brain’s comprehension now. Whatever it is, perhaps even just the music, he feels relaxed, perhaps even confident as he takes another jump, then a step sequence (and those have always been his area of expertise) and then a sequence of spins.

The spins feel like they’re never going to end until finally the music hits that one note and he switches legs and the next sequence is all fluidity and grace and dear lord but maybe he’s actually enjoying this? How is that possible?

And then there’s more turns and he is spinning with perfect posture and he suddenly realises there’s a smile on his (Viktor’s) face. It’s soft and gentle like the music he’s skating too, but it’s the first smile he’s had while skating in months and the realisation is shocking. He enjoys skating, he loves it in fact, but the thought of retiring has been looming over him, getting stronger ever since the end of the Grand Prix in Sochi. Now he wonders how he could even have thought of it, skating is his life. This right here, right now, is everything he needs.

There’s a pause, he stands still on the ice for a second and he can see the faces staring at him, almost believes he can pick each person out of the crowd and commit their face to memory, the moment is so clear and detailed.

Then he’s moving again and all he has left is that last jump sequence, three more jumps then pose and he’s finished.

The first jump is easy.

The second jump makes him feel like he’s flying.

He takes the third and lands with a wobble, placing his hand on the ground and he is certain Viktor would have been flawless but that’s the best he’s ever managed and right now he feels like nothing can touch him as he slowly slips into Viktor’s final pose.

The crowds are roaring, as they always do for Viktor’s performances because they are an art form all to their selves, no matter that, to them, Viktor seemed to miss a jump he would normally land perfectly.

It’s a blur he sees with perfect clarity as he bows to the judges, then the crowds, and then picks some of the flowers off the ice and one perfect imitation of Vicchan (or Makkachin he supposes) before skating back to where Yakov is waiting.

And that’s when reality hits him again.

Dear lord what did he just do?

 

. . .

 

Yakov hustles him. He clips his skate guards on and is being pushed towards the kiss and cry but Yuuri forces himself to stand his ground, no matter how scary Yakov is, and pulls his coach into a dressing room set aside for the competitors which is, thankfully empty.

The moment they’re alone Yakov lays into him, Russian flying around Yuuri’s head without any restraint and Yuuri prays he can get a word in around the furious rant and that Viktor’s coach won’t kill him and hide the body. (Well it is Viktor’s body, not his, so maybe Yakov will restrain himself for now.)

“Sir please, Mr Yakov please listen!”

The other man continues to spit fast Russian at him but perhaps something in Yuuri’s (Viktor’s) face throws him off and he eventually falls silent.

“Mr Yakov I’m so sorry but please I did the best I could.”

The coach snorts and grumbles then finally speaks back to him in English.

“’The best you could do’? You fumbled the last jump Vitya! You haven’t missed a triple loop in years! Though… that was definitely more emotion than you’ve put into your performances in years too, the crowd definitely noticed… Why are we speaking in English anyway you moron?”

“Mr Yakov-”

“Stop with the Mr already,” Yakov growls at him, though he does look slightly pleased under his frown, “trying to pretend you give me the respect I deserve as if I don’t know you!” 

“Ah I’m sorry sir! I’m sorry but, sir… I’m not Viktor…”

Yakov raises an unamused brow at him and Yuuri gulps, forcing himself to finish the sentence.

“I’m Katsuki Yuuri sir, from Japan. Viktor is my soulmate.”

Yakov’s eyes widen in dawning shock before he’s back to spitting Russian, and Yuuri is pretty sure it’s nothing but curses.

 

. . .

 

The door bursting open ends the terrifying tirade before it really gets going, and Yuuri almost sighs in relief before realising the source of the distraction is none other than an even angrier blond Russian. A rather small, and very familiar angry Russian. Which definitely just makes him even more terrifying.

He shouts something in Russian at Yuuri then waits for a reply and Yuuri can only stare blankly at him until Yakov steps between them, pulls Yuuri to his feet and ushers him out of the room and past the small blond teen.

“Come on _Viktor_ , need to get you into the Kiss and Cry for your scores, they’ll be out any minute now…”

Yuuri goes with it, because what else can he do just now? Yakov manoeuvres them through the crowds and Yuuri suddenly realises he probably looks quite lost and puzzled so tries to school his expression into something better resembling Viktor’s and thinks he’s quite successful when Yakov gives him a look then a nod.

They reach the kiss and cry and Yuuri cuddles the Vicchan toy to him, something he’s sure Viktor would do too, and waits. 

Yakov, gives him a pat, and a look then quickly hurries off to find an official and Yuuri watches him converse with a man in hushed whispers.

The loudspeaker crackles to life and Viktor’s name is announced.

Yuuri can hardly remember the other scores other skaters received but thankfully the board directly opposite him fills with the numbers just as the announcer gives his score.

303.

Yuuri watches the board desperately, his mind struggling to comprehend where that puts him until the names rearrange and his breath catches when Viktor’s (his?) moves to the top and it’s unbelievable and there’s tears coming to his eyes which is ridiculous since it’s not even really his win, but he did it, he managed to not ruin Viktor’s winning streak.

He tries to wipe the tears off his face but he wants to laugh too but laughing and crying at the same time will make people think Viktor’s finally lost it so he wipes the tears away and hugs the Vicchan even tighter before looking up and forcing himself to blow a kiss at the camera because that’s what Viktor would do right?

The medallists are being called to the ice and he thinks he must be going into shock cause his legs don’t really cooperate all that well with what his brain is trying to tell them to do, not that his brain is functioning at full capacity either. On the ice it’s a lot easier and before he even realises he’s on the podium and an official is placing a gold medal around his neck.

Viktor probably has more than he can even count, this one won’t make a difference at all, but Yuuri treasures each one of them, even if it’s won by someone else technically, so he doesn’t feel at all embarrassed like he normally would when he mimics Viktor’s usual display and lifts the medal to his lips. Or Viktor’s lips. And oh god Viktor’s lips. He idly traces them with a finger before lowering the medal. They’re soft. Very soft. God Yuuri would love to kiss them, and maybe he can if Viktor is his soulmate… He almost stumbles as he steps down from the podium after the thought that has filled his daydreams for years. A wide grin splits across his face and he once again refrains from letting out a joyful laugh when he someone unexpectedly gives his butt a small pinch.

He turns around with a yelp and Chris gives him a wink.

“Impressive performance today Viktor, but it’s not like you to drop a jump like that, maybe you’re getting old,” he teases with another wink before stepping around him and Yuuri is frozen in place, his daydream suddenly crashing down around him.

Are Viktor and Chris dating? Viktor probably isn’t even single anyway, he’s a gorgeous and talented skater and of course there’ll be someone waiting for him with a delicious Russian meal and taking care of Makkachin. Just because there’s never been any hint on his instagram doesn’t mean he hasn’t just kept it quiet…

Yuuri almost wants to cry again and doesn’t even notice a group of reporters approach and start to question him in Russian.

It’s more than fortunate that Yakov appears at that moment, steering him out of the crowd while seemingly making excuses for the Russian skater, with a glare that tells them they’d better back off. Now.

He’s being hustled down a corridor and he hasn’t even had time to take his skates off before he’s ushered into a nicely heated room full of seats gathered around a long table.

Yakov hands him a pile of things, including trainers and a delightfully poodle covered phone before taking a seat and Yuuri cautiously takes the one beside him and begins to remove the skates.

“Mr Yakov…” he starts tentatively.

“Just Yakov, hearing any sort of respect coming out of Viktor’s mouth is more terrifying than I ever imagined,” he grunts, taking a sip of the coffee already on the table in front of him.

“Yakov… is Viktor married?”

Yakov spits the coffee across the table and chokes before turning to shout at him in Russian again, his eyes wide with what Yuuri thinks might be horror.

After a minute he calms down, and manages to switch back to English so Yuuri can understand.

“Dear god boy, no. Don’t even joke. Viktor? Being domestic? He’ll retired from skating before that happens!” Yakov says with a laugh.

Yuuri perks up at the news.

“Is he dating anyone then?”

“No not that either, Viktor lives for skating and not much else, well except his dog of course.”

“Really?” Yakov seems to finally note the excitement in his voice and suddenly seems to remember the circumstances surrounding Yuuri’s existence in Viktor’s body. “That’s perfect then. You need to tell me all the things he likes. And everything Makkachin likes too! I’ve always wanted to visit Russia and he can come visit Japan too! I’m sure he’ll love the hot springs my family own!”

Yuuri’s planning would have continued further had the door behind them not opened again and two, rather harried looking officials step in and close the door again behind them.

They take the two seats opposite Yakov and Yuuri and place down a few papers.

“Thank you for waiting,” the older woman says, looking at Yuuri intently. “First, if you don’t mind, could you confirm your name?”

Yuuri gives Yakov a look and, at his nod, continues. “My name is Katsuki Yuuri from Japan.”

The younger, male official groans and puts a hand over his face and Yuuri wonders just how complicated this is going to be.

“I’m sorry for any inconvenience I’ve caused. I… woke up in Viktor’s body just before the free skate started and I didn’t really know what to do. I didn’t really think about what would happen afterwards.” He fidgets with his hands, not really sure what else to say before finally settling on apologising again.

The woman reaches across the table and gives his hand a gentle pat of reassurance before speaking again.

“The switch is always a very confusing experience, Mr Katsuki, we understand. As it is, this situation needs to be addressed. Nothing like this has ever happened before. It is my opinion that we should not allow Mr Nikiforov to keep the gold medal for our event,” she holds up a hand to silence Yuuri when he goes to protest and only once she knows he will wait does she continue. “However the rulebook has been scoured and there is nothing regarding this specific occurrence. Had the switch happened earlier and we were able to consult before the performance took place, I’m afraid Mr Nikiforov would have been disqualified, but as he still performed, or at least his body did, we are forced to-”

A loud barking suddenly interrupts her declaration, and three of them look around in confusion before Yakov points at Viktor’s phone on the table.

Yuuri apologises and goes to decline the call when the number on the screen catches his attention.

It’s his number.

He’s phoning himself.

Or actually, Viktor is phoning him…

 

. . .

 

He hits his hand on the table in his hurry to accept the call, and the first thing the person on the other end hears is, most unfortunately, Yuuri cursing in Japanese before the pain begins to fade and he gets the phone to his ear.

“…Viktor?”

The breath on the other end hitches, probably with the shock of hearing his own voice speaking to him.

“Yes, Katsuki Yuuri?” Yuuri’s voice asks, and he swears he can hear Phichit laughing in the background and his brain is fried because this means he really is Viktor’s soulmate, so all he manages to say is…

“Please tell Phichit he’s a jerk and he’s not allowed to post anything on his social media.”

Yuuri’s voice laughs. _Viktor_ laughs and relays the message before speaking into the phone again, ignoring the complaints in the background.

“I saw you perform.”

Yuuri’s breath catches in his throat because of course he did, Yuuri himself was all set to watch Viktor perform and Viktor was no doubt stuck watching his body perform without him, watching his body mess up a jump it shouldn’t have any problem with and all of a sudden Yuuri can think of all the faults he made in the performance, all the comparisons people will make to Viktor’s normal grace and he wonders how he even managed to keep the gold. Probably because of Viktor’s solid lead from the first day.

“I’m sorry Viktor,” he mumbles and there’s tears in his eyes again and he thinks he should be arrested for the crime of making Viktor’s face all red and puffy from crying. “I’m so sorry I ruined your performance and messed up the jump and-”

“It was beautiful.” Yuuri’s voice cuts through his apologies and he can’t remember ever sounding so confident and sincere. “It was amazing Yuuri. I’ve never managed to perform it with such passion or make it as convincing as you did so easily. That is how it should be performed Yuuri, I think there’s a lot I could learn from you.”

Yuuri’s crying more now, he’s sobbing into the phone because nobody has ever said anything that nice about his skating before, let alone the one man he admires beyond anyone else, he thinks maybe this is the best day of his life and it takes several awful minutes before he can calm down enough to speak again and in that time Viktor just keeps on reassuring him down the phone with nothing but pure honesty.

“They – hic – they might take – hic – away your medal – hic – though,” he finally stutters into the phone after he manages to stop crying.

“If they do that’s ok, I think you deserve it more than me,” Viktor tells him but the female official coughs clearly into her hand and Yuuri is embarrassed that he almost forgot there were three other people in the room.

“Assuming that is Mr Nikiforov, you might wish to put the loud speaker on and we can quickly resolve that issue,” she informs him and her eyes are so warm and caring when she looks at him.

Yuuri fumbles with the phone and the Russian screen but it’s the same type as his so he manages to figure it out and give Viktor a quick explanation as he does.

“As I was saying, if we had been informed about the situation prior to the performance, I’m afraid you would have been disqualified, Mr Nikiforov.” Yuuri’s hands clench but Viktor just gives an accepting ‘hmm’ through the phone. “However, as it stands, your performance was given, even if you were not in control at the time. As it stands, we are forced to allow you to keep your medal and first place score but we will be updating the rule book to prevent this in future events and make sure this situation does not happen again. That is the decision of the board.”

Yuuri can’t resist a little cheer at her announcement, and is about to thank them both when Viktor speaks.

“I’m afraid I don’t agree with that ruling.”

Yuuri stares at the phone blankly while Yakov shakes his head in resignation as Viktor continues.

“As Yuuri did most of the work I think it should be him that gets the medal.”

There’s a moment’s silence in which Yuuri can only stare at the phone in shocked horror at the thought of taking one of Viktor’s medals from him but when he looks up at the officials they are, distressingly, looking thoughtful before finally the man shakes his head.

“I’m afraid that isn’t possible. Mr Katsuki isn’t registered as a part of this event, there is no way the medal can go to him. If we acknowledge his participation then your total score would have to be split between the two of you and the gold medal would instead go to Mr Giacometti. The best that is possible in that regard is that we acknowledge Mr Katsuki’s performance as his own, rather than yours, in a press release.”

Viktor hums, and Yuuri thinks his voice sounds disapproving, it’s not a sound he often makes, before Yakov chimes in in Russian and after a moment Viktor capitulates and accepts the terms.

Yuuri thinks he should start learning Russian.

The terms are quickly agreed upon and the officials swiftly write up a brief press release and get Yakov, Viktor and Yuuri’s approval on it.

“Could you… Could you not release it today? I want to just… not worry about it for now,” Yuuri requests as they all stand up to leave. “If it’s ok, I want to be back in my own body before everyone starts flipping out about it.” And he’d like to take today to just talk with Viktor if he can, though he doesn’t say that part.

There is understanding agreements from everyone and both officials come around the table to shake his hand before leaving the room and Yuuri turns the phone off loudspeaker again.

“Viktor is Phichit still there?” he asks and before Viktor can even reply Phichit is shouting down the phone, his exuberance apparently having built up inside him, waiting until they were finished with the more serious issues to let it out.

“Oh my god Yuuri can you believe – I mean VIKTOR NIKIFOROV???? You’re Viktor’s soul mate, can you believe it? I mean you’ve been fantasising about it your whole life right?”

“Phichit oh my god please-”

“And now you’re really his soul mate and you just performed HIS free skate in HIS body because you’re his _soul mate_ and we were watching the whole thing and Viktor was so worried at first, especially when you just stood there on the ice looking like an idiot”

“Phichit please st-”

“But then you started skating and it was only like a few seconds and then he looked so freaking moved and emotional and I think he’s fallen in love with you already like wow you should have seen him watching you perform I should have freaking recorded it, it was so incredible!”

“Phichit if you don’t stop now-”

“And don’t worry I’ve already told him off for being a jerk to you at Sochi, I think he feels really bad about it but don’t worry he knows all about you now and how you’re his biggest fan! He was really happy about all the posters you have-”

“Please kill me now.”

“And soon I’m sure he’ll get to know you even more and then you’ll both fall in love and get married and then you’ll perform his free skate together as a duet and the whole world will ship you because you’re adorable and he’s super sexy and together you’ll have the most adorable little skating babies imaginable.”

“Phichit we’re both men.”

“And do you know why I know all this? Because you’re soul mates with FREAKING VIKTOR NIKIFOROV!! **SOUL MATES YUURI!!!** ”

Phichit is panting heavily by the time he finally takes a breath and Yuuri takes the chance to cut him off before he can start again.

"Yes, thank you for pointing that out Phichit, and for destroying any hope of me ever looking Viktor in the eye again, but you can’t mention this to anyone until tomorrow ok?”

Phichit moans and complains but eventually agrees provided he gets to post about them in the future and can tweet the news tomorrow at the same time the press release is made.

Yuuri hears Viktor immediately agree to this and worries that Viktor and Phichit seem to be getting along too well already but puts that thought aside to deal with later.

“Thank you Phichit. Can you do me another favour? Can you please set my laptop up and turn Skype on. I want to talk with you, Viktor, is that’s ok?”

Viktor agrees cheerfully and Yuuri’s heart swells.

“Give me half an hour and I’ll be online ok? Phichit please take care of Viktor today, I’m trusting you.”

“Don’t worry Yuuri, I’ll take good care of your _soul mate_!!!”

Yuuri somehow cringes and smiles at the same time. “Thank you. Can you turn off the speaker and pass me to Viktor please?”

With a lively goodbye, Phichit does so, and Yuuri thinks he hears the door open and close too and notices that Yakov also quickly vacates the room to give him a bit of privacy.

“Viktor I…” he begins then hesitates, not knowing what exactly to say from there.

“Yuuri Katsuki, I feel so honoured to have such an incredible and talented soul mate, and whatever impression I made in the past, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. Once we’ve swapped back I’ll fly out to Detroit, or fly you to Russia, or meet you in Japan, or whatever you want. I just want to have the opportunity to know everything about you, and learn everything you can teach me about how you skate because I have never been so moved watching a performance as I was today. I would be overjoyed if you will give me that chance to prove myself to you, so that we can have the most adorable skating babies together.”

Yuuri laughs at the serious voice Viktor adds the last part in before responding. “I’d like that. I hope you still feel that way when we meet because I’d really like that Viktor.”

“Why wouldn’t I feel that way? I watched you skate today Yuuri, and you poured so many emotions into it I can already see part of the person you are. And with all the stories Phichit’s already told me-”

“Oh dear god.”

“I know there is only one option for what will happen when we meet: I’m going to fall madly in love with you Yuuri, I already know.”

Yuuri’s voice catches again, and he thinks he should have run out of tears by now but there’s more dripping down his face as he laughs and replies “I really hope so.”

There’s a warm silence between them before Viktor clears his throat and Yuuri thinks it sounds a bit like he’s choking back tears too. “Now, why don’t you go get yourself sorted, so we can skype soon?”

Yuuri agrees and, after a few more words, reluctantly hangs up the phone.

He takes a minute, and steals a tissue from a box at the side of the room, before stepping out to find Yakov waiting for him in the hallway outside, who gives him a brisk nod.

“Alright, let’s get you changed out of that outfit and find your computer.”

Yuuri nods in agreement before he’s hit by a sudden realisation. “Wait, change?” He looks at the pink and white sparkly outfit he’s wearing – Viktor’s skating outfit – and realises he has to change into something else to leave the rink. But that means…

He has to take off Viktor’s clothes.


	2. You Walked In And My Heart Went Boom!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor and Yuuri get to talk to each other properly.  
> There are a few unwelcome interlopers.
> 
> Yuuri learns some Russian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew writing fanfics is hard around work! Sorry this took longer than planned!!

The call connects and Yuuri blinks in surprise at his own face smiling back at him. It’s one thing to know they’ve swapped bodies but seeing the evidence with his own eyes (kinda) of his own body moving independently is another thing entirely. 

Right now, at this very moment, Viktor is sat in Yuuri’s room in Detroit, surrounded by pictures of himself and with the truly misguided assistance of Phichit himself, who has already proven that he can’t keep anything about Yuuri secret from Viktor if he tries. 

“Hello Yuuri,” Viktor purrs and Yuuri squeaks at both the tone and also hearing it from his own mouth. 

“Viktor. I’m really so, so sorry about this, I completely forgot it was even my birthday cause I was so excited to watch you skate, otherwise I would have been at least slightly prepared!” 

Viktor chuckles at him. “Well it’s definitely not the worst thing to have happen. I’m sorry for putting you in that situation though. You really were spectacular.” 

Yuuri blushes and looks away from the screen, “How can you say that when I messed up the last jump? It was just a triple loop, you would have-” 

“Yuuri I’ve been practising that routine for more than a year now, how long have you been working on it?” 

Yuuri shuffles a bit in the hotel chair and absently grabs for the Makkachin toy he picked up from the ice. 

“Maybe two months now? It’s… helped. I haven’t had the most inspiration since… since last year." 

“You’ve proven my point. If you can perform it that well with so little practise then you really are amazing Yuuri.” 

He doesn’t quite know how to respond to that without turning down Viktor’s compliments again, so he chooses to remain silent instead. 

“You’ve changed clothes,” Viktor notes absently, “that shirt doesn’t look as good as I thought…” 

“I think you look amazing in it!” Yuuri states passionately, before shyly adding, “I had to change out of your costume but I swear I kept my eyes closed the whole time!” 

“You needn’t have bothered Yuuri,” Viktor starts with a wink but Phichit cuts in from somewhere off-screen before he can continue. 

“Yeah, cause Viktor’s already peaked at everything you’ve got! I think he’s a legs-man!” 

Yuuri’s face burns in embarrassed horror at the thought of Viktor appreciating HIS body, especially when he clearly has such a godly one himself. He buries his face into fake-Makkachin’s fluff and listens to Viktor’s stuttered apologies. 

When he looks up again, Viktor has a vibrant red covering his cheeks that Yuuri is prone to when embarrassed and is flapping his arms around desperately. 

Somehow though Viktor manages to look him directly in the eyes, something Yuuri can’t normally manage even when he’s not embarrassed to the point of death, and say, “I’m sorry Yuuri, I shouldn’t have looked without your permission. I got too carried away in my excitement.” 

Yuuri nods, hesitates for a few moments, and then asks “Did you really like it?” 

Viktor’s ears are slightly pink now too, but he nods emphatically. “You’re absolutely gorgeous, Yuuri.” 

“You should tell me more about yourself,” he continues. “You seem to know something about me but I don’t know much about you other than what Phichit’s told me and what I learnt at Sochi… There’s so much more I want to know!” 

“Well, um… I was born in Japan, in Kyushu. That’s in the south. My family runs a hot spring inn and my best friend there married the owner of the ice rink that we practised at when we were younger. I started skating when I was five.” 

“You sound like your Wikipedia page Yuuri!” Viktor laughs. “Tell me the important stuff - do you have instagram? What’s your favourite skating performance? Animal? Do you like poodles? What would be your perfect date? Do you like my hair longer or shorter?” 

Viktor is staring eagerly at him, as if he might offer the meaning of life when he opens his mouth and Viktor is worried he’ll miss it. 

“Uh, well, I have instagram, I’m logged in on my phone so you can look for yourself.” He’s already forgotten most of the questions Viktor asked, so he purposefully chooses to skip the question about a skating performance to save himself the embarrassment of admitting aloud that anything Viktor performs is his favourite. Instead he waits for Viktor to grab his phone from his desk. “The password’s 1225,” he only remembers he should feel embarrassed about that too when Viktor gives him a rather smitten look. “If you scroll down a bit you’ll see pictures of Vicchan,” and he can play off naming his dog Vicchan as just a coincidence right? 

“Wah he’s perfect just like Makkachin!! You said his name is Vicchan?” And nope, no way he can try the coincidence story after the pleased look Viktor gives him. “Can I meet him? I want to meet him, let’s go to Japan together Yuuri!” 

He smiles a bit weakly at Viktor’s enthusiastic joy. “Unfortunately not, there was... an accident. Just before the Grand Prix last year, and he, well he didn't make it." 

Yuuri expects the same sort of mindless platitudes the other skaters at the rink gave him after Phichit told them the news but when he looks up Viktor is staring intently at the picture on Yuuri's phone, a sad but gentle smile on his face. 

"I'm sorry to hear that Yuuri, but if there's a place to visit, I'd still like to go visit him anyway. I want to tell him that I'll look after you for him." 

Yuuri forgets how to breath for a moment, and that's when Viktor looks back at him with the most pure smile Yuuri's ever seen. 

"I'm sure he'd like that." 

He goes to say something else but there's the sound of a door opening on Viktor's side of the world and then Phichit's voice calls out and distracts Viktor. 

Yuuri takes the moment to wipe his eyes with the backs of Viktor's hands and when he looks back Viktor seems to be back to normal, with a steaming coffee in front of him. 

“So who knows what’s happened over there? Obviously Yakov and the two organisers at that meeting but anyone else?” 

“No-one so far, hopefully it’ll stay that way…” Yuuri replies with a shake of his head. “I’ve managed to keep away from reporters too cause I don’t know the first bit of Russian! I did see Yuri earlier, Plisetsky that is, but Yakov hurried us past before he could scream at me, er, you, anymore… Is he always like that?” he asks, slightly terrified of the answer. 

Viktor laughs “Unfortunately, yes. He’s like a kitten really though, his claws will sting but once you know how to treat him just right he’ll warm up to you. Not that he’ll show it of course!” 

Yuuri shudders at the thought, “I think meeting him two times is enough for now…” 

“Oh you’ve met him before have you?” 

Yuuri shudders again, the memory sending a shiver down his spine. “You could say that… I was… in the bathroom after the Grand Prix when he kicked the door down and told me I should quit. Charming fellow.” 

Viktor is rather speechless for a second (in which Phichit chimes in, demanding Yuuri not even consider quitting!) before rather awkwardly offering, “That does sound rather like him… I’m sorry, saying something like that to another skater is a bit low, even for him. I’ll talk to him when we swap again, I promise.” 

Glancing away from the screen so he doesn’t have to look at Viktor’s I’m-offended-for-you face, he responds, “Well it’s not exactly untrue either…” though he wonders if Viktor even knows how badly he did, since he hadn’t even recognised him after the competition finished. 

Viktor stumbles over how to respond for a moment (only solidifying Yuuri’s thoughts) and it’s only Phichit’s shout of “Yes it is untrue Yuuri!” that stops the moment from getting too awkward. 

Viktor clears his throat and offers “Well if you’re worried about Russian I can teach you some important, basic words if you like?” though his cheer sounds a bit forced. 

“Really? That would be so helpful! Thank you Viktor!” 

“Alright, first word… ok! The most important word to know is половой член. Can you say it? половой член.” 

Yuuri tries, the syllables sounding unnatural on his lips, “половой член. Is that right? What does it mean?” 

Viktor beams at him, “That’s perfect Yuuri, can you say it one more time?” 

“половой член.” 

“Amazing! You are a natural!” 

Yuuri shakes his head at that, certain that Viktor is just being considerate. “But what does it mean. Viktor?” 

If possible Viktor’s smile gets even wider. “It means ‘penis’!” 

Yuuri slams the laptop closed in horror. 

 

. . .

 

It’s another ten minutes of Viktor’s increasingly apologetic messages to him before he reluctantly opens the computer again and reconnects the call. 

It doesn’t help his embarrassment that the first thing he hears is Phichit laughing. Still. But Viktor looks appropriately contrite that he decides to just move the conversation on. “I saw Chris too, on the podium. We didn’t really have the chance to talk much, since Yakov hustled me away again but he, well, he pinched your butt,” Yuuri tells Viktor with a blush. 

Viktor laughs and waves him off, “he does that a lot.” 

Yuuri feels a rush of unexpected jealousy. He knows what Chris is like, he flirts with everyone he meets, but the thought of him touching Viktor’s butt when Yuuri hasn’t yet (cause it doesn’t feel right to touch it like that when he’s the one in the body!) makes him feel more… protective of his soulmate than he expected. “I’ll have to talk to him about that…” he whispers under his breath but from the look on Viktor’s face he heard, and wasn’t exactly about to object if the pleased smirk is any indication. 

“Anyone else?” 

Yuuri thinks for a second before shaking his head, “just a bunch of reporters and some fans outside the stadium… I just blew them a few kisses and winked a lot…” 

Whatever Viktor is planning to ask next is interrupted by a knock at the door. 

“It’s about six pm over there just now, right?” he asks instead before continuing without confirmation, “That’s probably Chris then, speak of the devil. We normally go out for drinks together after competitions to bemoan our old age and complain about the youth of today, or just get really drunk. You might as well invite him in so we can explain, he won’t take no for an answer if you say you don’t want to go, it’s tradition.” 

Yuuri doesn’t want to agree with that plan but Viktor knows Chris best, and Yuuri doesn’t exactly have bad opinions of him either, he just doesn’t really want to tell anyone else right now. Maybe that’s a bit unfair though, he thinks as he puts the laptop down on the bed carefully and tiptoes to the door to peak through, Yuuri’s best friend already knows so it’s unfair to tell Viktor he doesn’t want to tell one of his friends. 

A glance through the door shows it is, indeed, Chris and he opens the door with an anxious smile. 

“Viktor! You disappeared so quickly after the awards we didn’t even get to talk! First you steal my gold then you don’t even let me enjoy flirting with such a fine specimen of a skater!” Chris declares loudly, following it up with a saucy wink. 

Yuuri sighs before holding the door open for him, “Come in Chris, I can explain…” 

A bit perplexed at the less-than-enthused response, he does as instructed and Yuuri closes the door behind him before following him through. 

He gets back just as Chris seems to spot the laptop with skype still open. 

“Yuuri?” he says, clearly taken off guard if the confused look he turns on Viktor's body is any indication, “Viktor?” he says in askance. 

“PHICHIT!” is called from somewhere off-screen, only adding to Chris’ confusion, rather than resolving it. 

“Please ignore him,” Yuuri offers, taking a seat on the bed again and awkwardly gesturing to offer Chris the same. 

Chris is watching him intently now, and the demanding stare is chasing all reasonable explanations from his head. 

Unfortunately, that leaves the conversation open for Viktor to chime in instead. “You’d better not touch my butt while I’m not there to stop you Chris! Otherwise Yuuri says he’s going to have a talk with you!” he laughs. 

It, of course, just makes the situation worse (and makes Yuuri look like a crazy person) so Yuuri forces words out of his mouth. 

“Maybe it’d be best to start off by saying that I’m not Viktor, I’m Yuuri.” He gestures to the laptop, “That’s Viktor.” 

Chris looks at him for a few seconds, then at the computer, and then it clicks and Yuuri sees the very second it does quite clearly, if Chris’ widening eyes and slack jaw are any indication. 

“ _No!_ Really? Are you messing with me? Oh. My. GOD!!!!” 

 

. . . 

 

It’s several minutes before Chris calms down enough to stop screaming about how perfect they are together and stop pinching Yuuri’s cheeks and telling him he’s the cutest thing ever and if Viktor doesn’t treat him good to come to him straight away and Uncle Chris will set him right. 

Yuuri blushes at the attention but can’t help but smile when Viktor insists that, of COURSE he’ll treat Yuuri right, they’re _meant to be_. 

“Wait, so when did this happen? After the skate or…” he trails off, clearly already assuming the correct choice in his head. 

“Before,” Viktor confirms, “as in JUST before. Yuuri was the one who skated today!” 

Chris' eyes widen again before he turns to look at Yuuri, obviously re-evaluating his previous opinions and Yuuri can't help but straight his back a bit and meet the gaze head on. 

“Ah, I guess I should apologise for grabbing your ass earlier then! I like to flirt but I don't touch without permission!” 

Yuuri smiles at him, “It’s fine. Just don’t do it again please!” 

Chris gives him a teasing smile, “Just today or ever?” 

“Ever,” Yuuri confirms, his smile turning a bit cooler at the question. 

Chris just laughs, “Ooh, possessive, I like it!” 

“I know, he’s perfect isn’t he!” Viktor coos through the computer and Yuuri’s face switches from frosty to flushed in a split second. 

“Ah Yuuri you’re so cute!!!” Chris all but yells as he lunges at him and wraps him up in a tight embrace that he struggles to get out of. 

“He is, isn’t he? But hey, hands to-” 

The end of Viktor’s complaint is smothered. By the sound of the door. Being kicked open by an overly aggressive (at least in Yuuri’s opinion) tiny blond Russian. 

“Why the fuck are you screaming my name?” 

There’s several beats of stunned silence before both Chris and off-screen-Phichit both start to speak at once. 

“I’ll scream your name for you if you want baby,” Phichit offers, unhelpfully, though the horrified blush on Yuri’s face is highly amusing. 

“Not your name,” Chris says, obligingly, “Yuuri number one’s name.” Of course pointing at, what to Yuri appears to be Viktor at the same time doesn't help any more thanks than Phichit’s contribution. 

“Ok first of all, I’m number one, not that pig!” he ignores the objections from the two older skaters, “and second who the fuck was that?” he shrieks, gesturing at the laptop before finally noticing ‘Yuuri’ watching him back through it. “And THIRDLY why are you talking to the pig?” 

Yuuri wants to shrink into the bed and disappear from Yuri’s sight as it becomes obvious he isn’t going to leave without an answer. He hardly even notices Chris and Viktor berating Yuri, though he does hear Phichit, god bless that boy, shouting back “I’m sorry but this is a party for skaters who are over 4 foot so you need to vacate the premises!” from where he’s finally deigned to show his face by shoving Viktor half way out of view. 

Yuri winds back as if slapped, his face turning red as he takes a deep breath, obviously ready to go all out in a screaming war with Phichit and ignore Chris’ increasingly loud reprimands. 

Yuuri sighs, realising someone obviously needs to be the adult and take control of the situation before it gets any further out of hand. 

“Yuri,” he says calmly, “stop being a половой член.” 

There’s a long beat of silence as four skaters stare blankly at him before the two in America burst out laughing and Yuri gapes at him before huffing, crossing his arms and putting on the biggest pout Yuuri has ever seen. 

“I think I’m missing something…” Chris guesses .

Yuuri doesn’t deign to reply, rather embarrassed that that was all he could think to say. So much for being the adult. 

Instead he turns to look at the laptop. “Did I say it right, _Viktor_?” he asks, stressing the name and noting Yuri’s frown intensify in confusion. 

Viktor is laughing too hard still, him and Phichit literally holding each other up, but he manages a nod at least. 

Chris wines pathetically, “Come on Yuuri!! What did you say?” 

He shakes his head and looks back at Yuri who still looks confused. “In case you haven’t got it yet, I’m Yuuri. That,” he gestures at the STILL laughing Viktor, “is Viktor. We’re soulmates – we swapped bodies earlier today. I was the one skating today.” 

Yuri’s eyes almost pop out of his skull, “That can’t have been you skating today! It was actually good until the end!” he near shouts, before realising he just, inadvertently, gave Yuuri a compliment. 

“Um, well it was me, so thank you I guess?” 

“Whatever. How do you know Viktor’s program so well? Are you a stalker?” 

“What?!” Yuuri shrieks in shock. “No! Of course not! Well, I mean no! I’m just… a fan I guess,” he finishes lamely, not at all convincing if the look on Yuri’s (and Chris’) face is anything to go on. 

“Oh he’s not just a fan, he’s my biggest fan!” Viktor exclaims proudly, finally in control of himself again. “He’s got so many posters of me on his walls! I don’t even remember taking this one” he says while turning the laptop to face a poster the wall by Yuuri’s bed. “And Phichit says it’s his favourite!” 

“PHICHIT!! Is there anything embarrassing you didn’t tell him about me yet?” Yuuri squeals in mortification, hiding his face behind fake!Makkachin. 

The Thai boy pretends to think for a second, “Oh I haven’t mentioned all the secret love poems you wrote about him yet!” 

Yuuri’s heart withers to ash in his chest in humiliation before realising he hasn’t ever actually written any poetry to Viktor down (though he might have made some in his head before…). 

“Phichit you’re a половой член too! I haven’t ever written love poems about Viktor!” 

Phichit laughs then gives a fake, over the top sigh, “Darn, I thought you might admit to it! You’ll just have to start writing them now!” 

“Gross, please stop,” Yuri #2 pleads before looking around the small group, “Is this really serious? It’s not a prank?” 

“It’s really not,” Viktor says in the most serious voice. 

Yuri waits another few seconds before grunting in, Yuuri hopes, acceptance or at least resignation. “Well, it could have been worse, at least it’s not that annoying Canadian. Or Giacometti,” he ignores Chris’ protest at being clumped together with JJ. “Or Georgi, could you imagine? I think he’d cry if his soul mate wasn’t his dearest Anya…” 

He trails off and stares for another moment at Viktor in Yuuri’s body before grunting again and turning to leave. 

“Don’t tell anyone yet Yuri!” Viktor yells through the screen and he gets a wave of the hand in response before the blond is gone again, leaving no sign of his presence except a slightly beaten door. 

“Well,” says Chris, “I guess I’ll head out too. Even if you’re not here Viktor, I still plan to get drunk enough to forget how single I am.” He gets up and gives Yuuri a wink before heading to the door, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t, kids!” and then he, kindly, pulls the door closed behind him. 

The remaining three sit together in a moment of thoughtful silence, the disappearance of both energetic skaters at once seeming to leave the room much emptier than it should. 

Then Yuuri starts to give Phichit a look and soon after Viktor is staring intently at him too. 

He purposefully ignores them for a few moments before seeming to notice and act shocked all of a sudden. 

“Well, I guess I’ll head out too, give you both a bit of time alone… Please remember that this is my house too,” 

“God Phichit, I’m not ever THERE!” Yuuri groans. 

“So don’t get up to anything too naughty!” he winks dramatically at Yuuri before looking at the skater beside him. “Viktor if you need anything give me a call. Yuuri’s password for his phone is 1225, should be easy enough to remember. There's food in the cupboards so just help yourself. I’ll just go find a café to pass the time in today or something…” 

“He’s in my contacts as ‘The Annoying One’” Yuuri offers and Viktor laughs while Phichit bemoans his heartless best friend as he pulls his shoes on again. 

He’s off screen, calling his goodbyes, when Yuuri calls out for him suddenly. 

His head pops back into view with a good-natured smile on his face and Yuuri feels a bit choked with the emotion suddenly filling his chest. 

“Phichit… thank you. For everything.” 

For once, instead of joking, Phichit just nods. “Any time Yuuri, any time.” 

And then it’s just Viktor and Yuuri. Alone. 

 

. . .

 

"I want to see you. Soon." Yuuri blurts out the second he hears the door close and then cringes at the demand. 

"Me too," Viktor whispers back. "But I've still got several competitions left before the season ends and I'm sure you're the same." 

Yuuri cringes even more heavily, horrified to have to spell out to Viktor what kind of state his skating career is in right now. 

"Actually... I've got nothing planned for the rest of the year. It's been a struggle to even find motivation when I'm at the rink, so I'd started to wonder if... if this is it for me." 

Yuuri avoids eye contract after admitting his thoughts, but Viktor just says his name then waits until Yuuri looks up again. 

"Is that how you really feel?" he asks. 

Yuuri bites at his lower lip, thinking of how lifeless his skating has been in the last few months and goes to nod. But then he remembers the feeling performing today gave him. How free he'd felt and how inspired he was. How _happy_ he felt. 

"I did. I really did. But now... I'm not sure. Skating today made me feel like I have a purpose again. Made me remember how happy skating makes me. But this isn't even my body, it's yours. What if I don't feel this again after we swap back?" 

"You can't know that until it happens. I want to share something with you too, before you make up your mind, if that's ok?" 

Yuuri nods, his confusion showing on his face. 

"I've been wondering about my future too. Until today, skating had lost its meaning to me too. I've been on a winning streak so long that I'm losing motivation and that sounds pretty pathetic doesn't it? But nobody is surprised any more. I didn't know what else I could do. Then, I watched you today and I saw just how much I'm missing from my performance. How much better it was when you skated it. And now I think I've found my motivation again, found my love of skating again," Yuuri can't help the smile that is quick to cover his face at the suggestion that he gave the older skater inspiration, until Viktor continues. "But I don't know if going to more competitions will help right now. I want a change of pace, I want to escape and breath again. Take a season and see how things are. A few months ago, soon after the Grand Prix, an adorable younger skater asked if I'd be his coach. I was bemused at the time, but since then I've seen just how good he can be and I'm thinking maybe I'd like that, to be his coach. That is, if he'd have me?" Viktor asks with a hopeful look and Yuuri thinks he understands. 

"Is it Yuri?" 

Viktor is perplexed for a moment before laughing, "Yes, it is, Yuuri." 

"But what about Yakov?" 

"Yakov?" Viktor looks confused again. "What about Yakov?" 

"Isn't Yuri training under him to prepare for his senior debut next year?" Now they both look confused until Viktor seems to catch on and laughs again. 

"No, no, I don't mean Yuri! I was talking about you, Yuuri! Would you accept me as your coach?" 

Viktor Nikiforov, four times world champion, coaching _him_? Surely he can't be serious? 

"Are you serious?" 

Viktor just nods and hmms in confirmation, his smile wide. 

"Well, I mean, are you really serious you want to stop skating and coach _me_?" 

"Yes Yuuri, I'm really, honestly serious." 

"Then yes, oh my god, yes. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!!" Yuuri cheers at the computer. 

Viktor's eyes are warm at Yuuri's exclamation. "No need to thank me Yuuri. You're my soul mate. I've dreamt of meeting you for years and I will give you everything I can if it makes you happy again. Plus you're an incredibly talented skater and I want everyone to see that, we'll get you a gold, then another and another until they all acknowledge your amazingness!" 

Yuuri blushes, and sniffles, and embarrassingly tears leak out at Viktor's declaration and it takes a minute before he gets himself back under control to thank him some more. 

Viktor just brushes his thanks off, saying he can thank him later, when they've got started on his training. 

"I can't believe you thought I was talking about Yuri #2 though!" 

Yuuri pouts in response to his laughter. "Well you said it was someone who'd asked you to coach them and I definitely haven't! I've always been too shy to talk to you until now!" 

If Yuuri were to describe Viktor's face right at that moment, he'd probably say he looked like he's been slapped. Multiple times. With a fish. Or something along those lines. 

Then Viktor tells him just what happened at the banquet and provides photographic evidence too, and Yuuri wants so desperately to go outside and bury himself in a snow drift to end his suffering, but he's in Viktor's body just now and that wouldn't be very considerate at all and he cares a lot more about his soulmate than that. 

In the end he just makes Viktor promise to never, _ever_ , tell Phichit about that night. 

 

. . . 

 

They talk for hours in the end, only disturbed once, not long after nine, when there's an aggressive knock at the door and he opens it to find an equally aggressive Russian who shoves a paper bag at him, declaring Yakov sent him with them and then storming away before Yuuri can manage anything more than a 'thank you'. 

He carries it back to the laptop and peers inside to see some sort of pastries. 

"Ah, piroshki!" Viktor exclaims at the sight of one. "From little Yuri?" 

Yuuri nods and takes a bit of one before greedily scoffing the rest and going back for a second, suddenly realising how hungry he is. "Dees urr derishius!" He tells Viktor in between bites. 

Viktor goes in search of some food for himself as Yuuri sends a text to Yakov to thank him for the food. 

A minute later there's a reply. 

_"What food? I was just about to come up to check you're still alive."_

It takes Yuuri a nonplussed second to connect the dots and then he shoots a rather polite and very grateful message to Yuri instead. 

_"Fuck off, stop being gross. If you have time to message me you have time to go practise skating before I kick your ass next year!"_

Which is a bit ridiculous cause it's pitch black outside and he's currently talking to his newly discovered soulmate but he thinks he's starting to understand Yuri #2 a bit more now... 

 

. . .

 

It's almost 2am when he starts to lose the battle against his exhaustion and Viktor coos at him softly as he struggles to keep his eyes open. 

"Go to sleep Yuuri, you're exhausted, the whole day has been exhausting." 

"I don't want to," he moans, "What if I wake up and this has all been a dream?" 

"You won't" Viktor reassures. 

"But what if I _do_?" 

"You won't," Viktor says again. "But if somehow you do, I want you to go find me again. Show me your skating and I guarantee I'll be head over heels for you in no time." 

Yuuri gives a sleepy grumble, which is interrupted by a yawn. 

He manages to slouch to the ensuite and borrow Viktor's toothbrush and change clothes. (He might take a quick peak this time, remembering Phichit's comments and he has to take a second to cool himself off, it would be insanely awkward to get turned on by his current body!) 

He feels rather transparent when he walks back into the bedroom only for Viktor to take one look at him and say "Have a good look this time?" with a wink. 

Yuuri blushes but sticks his chin up anyway, "It'll do I guess," and winks in return when Viktor splutters with disbelief. 

He sits back on the bed. "You're beautiful Viktor. Absolutely stunning. I've never met anyone as attractive as you and know for certain that I never will. I feel luckier right now than you can possibly imagine." 

"I'm not sure about that," is all he says in reply but the expression on his face says everything else. "Go to sleep now Yuuri, we will talk again tomorrow I promise, this is only the very beginning." 

"I really don't want to hang up though." 

"I know, but I absolutely promise you, when you wake up tomorrow, I'll be waiting for you even if we're an ocean apart." 

Yuuri hugs the Makkachin toy to his chest. 

"Ok but I'll hold you to that promise." 

"You should. Yuuri, I think I'm going to fall in love with you very quickly so I hope you're ready." 

And then he immediately ends the call, before Yuuri can even try to formulate a response. 

The bastard. 

 

. . . 

 

Yuuri wakes up the next morning in his bed in Detroit, surrounded by the familiarity of his room and the distant sounds of Phichit sleeping. 

Well it was a nice dream while it lasted, his sleepy brain thinks and a few tears well up in his eyes before something out of place catches his attention in the morning light. 

It's his favourite poster. The one by his bed of younger Viktor with his long hair flying around him as he moves. And it's signed. It's not normally signed. 

His sleepy mind shakes itself, and, with a glance, he realises that all of his posters have a name scribbled somewhere on them. All the same name. The name of his soulmate. Viktor Nikiforov. 

Phichit wakes that morning when Yuuri stumbles into his room, hyperventilating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no knowledge of Russian. I spent like 20 minutes searching for a way to say penis in the language without it sounding like penis. I tried to doublecheck this one but couldn’t so please let me know if it’s wrong/any better suggestions.  
> Writing this it felt like I was bashing Yuri, that really wasn’t intended but he is a bit of a bitch at the start of the show and this is the only way I can imagine him reacting to the news…  
> And sorry if it was too dialogue heavy, there were set discussions I wanted to happen and it was a lot more work than I expected to get them all in without the discussion sounding unnatural. I hope it wasn't too heavy!


	3. Who Tells Our Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's POV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated between having Viktor's POV in ch2 or 3 but thought it'd be better here.  
> Thank you eternally for all the wonderful comments! You give me motivation to keep typing.  
> Enjoy!

There’s a mindset skaters like Viktor develop. A state of mind that they enter just before a skate where everything is focused on that performance. To Viktor, the colours seem saturated, richer than ever, and all the lines and edges are sharper and more precise. At that moment, Yakov is talking to him; going through the same pre-skate pep talk he does every competition. Viktor’s not listening, Yakov knows, even though the silver-haired skater nods at all the appropriate times. Instead his eyes are trained intently on a wrinkle that stretches from one side of his coach’s forehead to the other. Is it longer than last time he looked at it? His mind is empty of all other thoughts, fully prepared to become immersed in the music, in the highs and lows, and the feel of freedom that skating gives him. 

There’s a strange feeling in his stomach that he doesn’t recognise, it might feel uncomfortable but his brain doesn’t have time to deal with that.

He blinks to stop the tears that are starting to tingle at the corner of his eyes, probably from staring so intently for so long.

When he opens his eyes Yakov is gone. He’s hunched over which he doesn’t remember doing, and when he looks up he feels the pre-skate mindset disappearing against his wishes. His brain starts to fire again.

He’s in a room he doesn’t recognise. On a bed he’s never slept in. Looking at a laptop he doesn’t own.

There’s a hand on his shoulder and he follows it back to the face of a young man he doesn’t recognise at all.

“Where am I?” he asks in his native tongue and the dumbfound expression on the other’s face isn’t any reassurance.

“Oh my god,” the man gasps, in English, and just stares at him unattractively until Viktor growls in frustrating, he needs answers, _quickly_!

The sound shocks the other out of his stunned silence and he places his other hand on Viktor’s other shoulder so he’s holding him in place, or offering some grounding.

“Do you speak English?” 

Viktor nods, having already figured it was a shared language between them and wants to move on to the more important information already.

“Can you tell me your name?” he asks and Viktor wants to knock his hands away because who HE is doesn’t matter, it should be obvious. Except, he catches sight of his hands out of the corner of his eye, and they’re not _his_. The bed isn’t his, the laptop isn’t his and now the body isn’t his either.

His mind catches up and his whole face slackens in shock.

It’s the switch.

He’d been waiting for it for so long now he’s almost given up on it happening after several years of nothing and he’d got blasé about it. If it did happen, he always said he’d deal with it then, but not now! Not before he _skates_!

“I need your phone!” he says in place of his name, holding his hand out desperately. It’s shaking slightly and he doesn’t know how to make it stop. “I need your phone _now_! I’m about to skate, it’s my turn, I need to call my coach, I can’t believe-”

His hand is still held out but his eyes catch on something else. The laptop is open on the  
bed in front of him and that’s him, that’s a close up of him on the TV except his face looks worried which it never does because that’s how he’ll get wrinkles.

The man beside him follows his gaze before looking back at him and his gaze goes slack too.

“Oh god, oh god are you really serious? Are you freaking kidding me just now? Is Yuuri’s soulmate really freaking honestly Viktor Nikiforov? Because that’s just not fair!” he cries, waving his arm to gesture around him and Viktor doesn’t want to look anywhere at the screen but his eyes unconsciously follow the movement and, well, that’s him. And him again. And again. And the walls are covered with his posters and oh god his soulmate is a _fan. A big fan_. Please don’t let them be a crazy one.

The man is talking again. “It’s ok, here’s my phone. Do you know the calling code? Everything will be ok. Yuuri will explain everything to your coach and then…” he trails off and Viktor almost asks him to continue speaking because his voice is reassuring and he’s saying all the things Viktor needs to hear just now.

He looks at him and follows his gaze back to the laptop.

His body isn’t at the side of the rink any more. It’s in the middle of the ice, standing there blankly and Viktor feels like he might puke, this is going to end his career; everything is over because some _fan_ is going to skate in his body.

“Oh my god Yuuri.”

‘Yuri’? Seriously? Why does he have to have that name too? Viktor doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to look at the younger skater Yakov is training ever again without remembering the loathing that is starting to bubble up in his stomach. The phone is still in Phichit’s hand and Viktor grabs for it because there’s still time, he can still call Yakov and then everything will be ok!

But it won’t because his idiot soulmate is posing and the music is beginning.

The pose is… perfect. Right down to the tilt of his head and the position of his arms. It’s exactly how he does it so the fan has obviously watched him perform a lot. But there’s no way to make up for the other aspects of his skate. It’s one thing to know the poses and the posture, but the jumps and the motions only happen if you practise them. While Viktor’s body might know the motions, the mind in it needs to have the confidence to take them, to know how to land without breaking his neck, to have the confidence and belief that everything is going to be ok because he’s done the routine a thousand times before.

Nobody but Viktor can have that confidence.

One of Phichit’s hands moves from where it was still holding his shoulder to grasp his hand and he’s still saying something to Viktor even though his eyes are fixed on the screen. Viktor wants to shake the hand off because nobody has touched him so presumptuously without his permission in a long time now, at least not someone he doesn’t know, but for some reason he latches onto it instead, as he can only watch in horror as the body on the screen starts to move.

He wants to look away as his body slips across the ice, waiting for it to fall on its face, or trip over its own skates.

But…

Well…

The movements are all precise. They’re not exactly what he would do; a well-versed eye would notice the differences easily. But that doesn’t matter because the only way he can describe it is beautiful. All the elements of his free skate are there, but there’s something more. It’s not polish, because Viktor’s experienced eye can pick out all the small flaws that the other skater, because he must be a skater, is making – he obviously knows the program but not as well as Viktor does, understandably. No, it’s something else…

His heartbeat picks up its pace again as the skater approaches the first jump and lands it without a hitch.

Viktor feels entranced as he watches, in a way he hasn’t while watching recordings of his own performances for a long time now.

There are another two jumps and then a step sequence and if Viktor was entranced before he’s enthralled now. Not even Makkachin would be able to draw his attention away because that, right there, really is first class skating and Viktor will admit that it’s better than his in a heartbeat because it’s nothing but the truth.

The spins make him spellbound too, seeming faster and more perfectly posed than he thinks he could be and the realization that Yakov’s grumbles about Viktor getting complacent are entirely true.

The skater breaks out of the spin and Viktor finally places that something he couldn’t understand before, finally understands why he’s been captivated from the start. Viktor’s performances are perfect, and this skater has made a few small mistakes so far, but what he does have is the emotion, the pure emotion that runs through the music and is brought to life with Viktor’s body. There’s a longing there, a desperation running through the skater and through the performance, for another person that brings the lyrics to life.

The moment in the routine comes where Viktor should stand perfectly still. It arrives and the camera manages to catch a clear view of his face and there’s a smile on his face that blows Viktor away.

He smiles when he skates, he does, but he never thought it would fit the ambiance he builds in this skate. But right now it works. The smile is small, but full of happiness, maybe even of new found hope or joy. Viktor can’t feel any further removed from the loathing he felt only minutes ago at the thought of someone else ruining his performance. There’s a warmth filling his body instead of the cold dread from earlier, and he doesn’t even know who the person in his body is, but he thinks he might be the luckiest man alive to have such an incredibly talented and warm person as his soulmate.

He thinks that then watches as his body over-rotates the last triple and drops a hand to the ice. He tries to block out the commentators who are having a field day, seeing _the_ Viktor Nikiforov, world champion, miss a triple but it’s easy when the skater is back on his feet in an instant and he’s finishes with grace and pose and the crowds are roaring no matter what.

Viktor sits back from where he’s been leaning into the laptop without realizing and watches the man in his body bow to the crowds and the judges then pick up a stuffed dog (good choice, Viktor would have picked that up too) and is off the ice and, to the confusion of the commentators, heads straight into a back room instead of the kiss and cry but Viktor understands even if Yakov apparently doesn’t.

There’s nothing to see on the screen right now so Viktor turns back to the man, a teen really, who is sat beside him in the room.

“Who _is_ that?” he asks desperately and the teen smiles.

“That, my dear, is the incredible, the amazing, the _outstanding_ Katsuki Yuuri.”

Viktor blinks at him.

“Who?”

 

. . . 

 

Viktor holds his abused shoulder with a pitiful moan from where the teen punched him. He doesn’t think that’s fair with the number of skaters he meets but then the name stirs something in his head and memories of a night in Sochi with an incredible little minx stir to the front of his mind.

“Wait,” he says as the man, he should really ask his name, hits him again. “Wait, the Japanese skater? _That_ Yuuri?” he asks and he’s pointed to a mirror against the opposite wall.

“Take a look for yourself.”

He does and his face bursts into a smile as he starts to laugh. Could the fates be any more kind to him? He thinks back to that night several months ago, and all the ones since that he spent trying to come up with a reason to see the other skater again. But he hadn’t been at any competitions Viktor could find and Yakov kept telling him to focus on his own skating. He could have asked Chris, but that would get instant results that he never felt ready for, and he’d much prefer to see him again face to face rather than through a computer. 

It’s not quite how he imagined it but he never even considered they could be soulmates before.

(He notices Phichit checking his phone and takes a quick peek at the rest of the body and gives an appreciative hum.)

“Oh so you do recognise him?” the teen asks, glancing back up, and Viktor is surprised to hear the extreme amount of snark being levelled at him.

“Yes of course, he was at the Grand Prix last year!”

“Oh wow, I’m surprised the great Viktor Nikiforov even deigns to remember him now. Yuuri says you didn’t even recognise him as a competitor! You just offered him a commemorative photo you jerk!”

Viktor feels slightly attacked but, thinking back, he does, _very faintly_ , recall making that offer in the hall of the arena and wondering why the person looked so devastated when fans were usually overjoyed at the chance. If that was Yuuri, who had just skated against him, then he might have to make it up to him… somehow.

“I… I guess I get pretty arrogant at competitions now,” he offers. “I’ve been seeing the same faces for a while, and winning gold each time, that I don’t bother paying attention to any other face that pops up unless they get my attention.”

He walks back to the bed, looking around the room as he does rather than at the other. “I don’t understand why Yuuri didn’t get my attention at the Grand Prix, rather than the banquet though. His skating is incredible! How did he not place?”

“Last year, there were… circumstances. But it’s completely blown any confidence he had built up and he’s barely been skating since then. I didn’t know he’d been skating _your_ routine though!”

Viktor sits back on the bed, facing the teen. “What’s your name? Or should I know that too?” he asks with a wry laugh and the other laughs with him which is reassuring right now.

“I’m Phichit, Phichit Chulanont. I’ll let you off for not knowing it yet but after this year everyone will know my name!”

“I’ll look forward to it, now if you don’t mind I’d like to try to call my coach again now that the skate is finished?”

Phichit offers his phone again and Viktor takes it this time but is prevented by calling once again because Yuuri is back, with an I’m-too-old-for-this-shit Yakov by his side and they’re heading to the kiss and cry now.

At this point, Viktor doesn’t really care what scores he gets, it’s overwhelmingly cheesy but he just wants to talk to Yuuri because that’s his real prize today.

Of course his scores come and he’ll still won and Phichit is cheering but Viktor never had any doubts, not if the judges were watching the same, impassioned performance that he was.

He tries ringing Yakov while Yuuri is on the podium but, in true Yakov fashion, he doesn’t answer. Viktor wouldn’t be surprised if his phone was in a locker somewhere.

He tries a few times just in case but, without success, he switches over to calling his own phone.

Yuuri answers.

 

. . .

 

Speaking to Yuuri was terrible. It was soul destroying and world ending because how can someone so pure and precious live on this world without being acknowledged?

Yuuri is worried about whether Viktor will get to keep his medal. All Viktor can think that as long as he can keep Yuuri to himself then he doesn’t care about any medal, trophy or title.

Because Yuuri is the definition of cinnamon roll and Viktor thinks he is definitely the luckiest man alive.

He looks at Phichit after hanging up the phone and his face must show nothing but sheer overwhelming bliss because Phichit takes both Viktor’s hands in his own and stares intently into his eyes before saying “I know” in the most solemn tone imaginable.

There’s suddenly a fire burning in the pit of his stomach, a newly formed determination the likes of which he’s never felt before.

He looks back at Phichit, equally solemn, and says “He must be protected.”

Phichit nods gravely.

 

. . .

 

There’s a long wait after the phone call while Yuuri goes back to the hotel. Viktor takes the time to question Phichit on anything he can think of to ask about Yuuri.

They get on the topic of Yuuri’s rather impressive collection of goods, which surprisingly ranges from the very start of his career right up until now. 

“You know he would be unbelievably happy if you were to sign one for him…” Phichit says casually before pointing at one. “That one’s his favourite…”

Somehow Phichit has a sharpie in hand already and Viktor grabs it from him in an instant, “Do you think just one is enough?”

And that’s how Viktor finds himself signing all the posters and pictures he can find while Phichit goes out to get them coffee.

 

. . .

 

They Skype, and Phichit is a nuisance but makes Yuuri laugh so Viktor will forgive the boy. Chris and Yuri make guest appearances in their usual manner to provide comic relief but none of that matters to Viktor because he gets to talk with Yuuri and he’s just as incredible, even more so, than that night in Sochi.

They make plans together, tell each other about themselves and share concerns. Finding out that Yuuri lost his dog just before skating last year makes sense of Phichit’s earlier comment, and Viktor wonders if he’d even bother to skate if that were to happen to Makkachin. But then Viktor is in a place where he has a strong enough name to skip a performance if he needs to and people will know he has a reason – for a skater at their first Grand Prix he thinks people would have thought Yuuri choked if he didn’t skate, not that they thought much better of him anyway and it makes Viktor so frustrated when he knows the truth. In return, Viktor tells Yuuri about his worries about the future and eventually just straight out asks if he wants Viktor to be his coach. He didn’t imagine Yuuri could possibly have completely forgotten everything that happened at the banquet, but seeing his face when he looks at the pictures on Viktor’s phone is wonderful. Viktor didn’t know his face could blush that much!

It’s easy for him to forget how late it is because the body he’s in is well rested and the sun has only just set in Detroit but soon enough Yuuri is falling asleep before his eyes and he most certainly does not want to hang up now, because by the time they both wake up in the morning, they will have switched back again and it will be like the bubble that surrounds the two of them has burst and they’ll have to deal with the rest of the world too!

He finally hangs up just after promising to fall in love completely soon, and the last glimpse he got of Yuuri’s expression before the connection cut was beautiful.

 

. . .

 

He messages Phichit because he doesn’t want to sit around alone in Yuuri’s room until he falls asleep and an instant later the boy promises he’s on his way. Then another saying he’ll bring pizza.

Viktor already approves of Yuuri’s choice of friend.

He tries to be good, he really, _really_ does… but Yuuri’s underwear is somewhere in this room and he is overwhelmingly curious if he just wears briefs or gets a bit more adventurous.

(He finds briefs and boxer briefs but nothing very exciting (besides the thought of Yuuri in just his underwear) (but he promises he’ll rectify that soon enough…))

He manages to refrain from going into the bathroom to have another look at Yuuri’s body (he definitely approves though) because he does actually acknowledge that he shouldn’t have really looked in the first place and feels bad about making Yuuri so embarrassed.

Thankfully Phichit arrives before his resolve weakens, bringing in the smell of cheesy goodness and he hopes Yuuri won’t mind if he indulges in his body. They take seats on the bed and Phichit pulls his laptop out of his backpack and proceeds to open a powerpoint.

The first slide is proudly entitled ‘Cinnamon Roll 101’ and covered with pictures of Yuuri. Viktor sits to attention cause he is about to get learnt.

The first slide is a summary of why Yuuri is a cinnamon roll. There’s a picture of Yuuri feeding a, seemingly, stray cat. There’s a picture of him carrying shopping for an elderly man and holding the door for an elderly lady. The fourth picture shows him at a rink, obviously helping a younger kid, maybe ten, practise his footwork. The last one is just Yuuri, curled up in bed with his thumb slightly between his lips and Viktor decides that it is the singularly most precious picture he has ever seen. Phichit talks through each one and Viktor nods enthusiastically each time before demanding he send Viktor copies of them all as soon as humanly possible.

The second slide is about what Yuuri likes and there’s a few words spread across the page randomly, like ‘long baths’, ‘Phichit’ and ‘Spring – Summer’s too hot, Winter’s too cold and Autumn is wet’. But the majority of the page is taken up by three pictures. Of them, Viktor doesn’t recognise one – a bowl of some kind of Asian food that Phichit explains is katsudon. Another Viktor is rather familiar with, the photo looking rather like his own Makkachin waiting for him back in Russia. Viktor remembers Yuuri’s expression when talking about his own Vicchan and hopes Yuuri will be happy to share Makkachin with him if it helps.

The last picture is clearly a picture of him and Viktor thinks it’s a bit unnecessary to put in but when he mentions this Phichit tuts at him and says it would be ridiculous to present a powerpoint about Yuuri and not mention the great Viktor Nikiforov because of how much he’s shaped Yuuri’s life.

There’s a slide about important people in Yuuri’s life and his name is there again, as is Phichit’s and he proceeds to talk about himself in the third person without any hesitation.

The last slide, in contrast to the rest, is pitch black until Phichit hits the space bar and an ominous title ‘Why you should never even think about hurting the cinnamon roll’ appears slowly.

Another click and a picture of Phichit appears. With a kitchen knife in hand and both knife and hand dripping with a red fluid Viktor is sure must be tomato based, trying to ignore the niggling doubt at the back of his mind.

Phichit smiles at him, making no comment on the final slide.

“Any questions?”

Viktor wants to say no but instead he smiles back, “Yes actually, could you tell me stories that you’ve shared with Yuuri?”

Phichit’s eyes light up and in an instantly he’s back to being animated and lively, slamming his laptop closed and telling Viktor to pull up a chair (there are no chairs and he’s quite comfortable on the bed) because Phichit has _Stories_.

 

. . .

 

Viktor wakes up the next morning with a smile on his face, in a bed on the other side of the world from where he fell asleep. 

He grabs for his phone without looking and thankfully Yuuri’s left it near enough where he normally does. It’s 9am and his mind only went to sleep three hours ago but his body has been resting for seven so he feels awake enough to start the day.

There are a few messages from people he knows in the skating business asking for comments about his slip yesterday (he is certain they’ll have forgotten all about it by that night).

There’s a six hour time difference between Warsaw and Detroit so Yuuri won’t be up for a while so Viktor grabs breakfast in the hotel dining room and checks in with Yakov. The older man looks grumpier than usual, but Viktor can see past the front he puts on to know he’s not-so-secretly happy for Viktor.

“Thanks you for looking after Yuuri yesterday,” he offers with a smile, taking the seat opposite the man. “You’re a good friend.”

Yakov grumbles but eventually offers, “He seems like a good kid, called me ‘sir’ and ‘mister’. Not sure he’ll be able to put up with you for the rest of his life though, I want to quit after just eight years with you!”

Viktor laughs at his grumpy coach and starts digging into his breakfast.

“The Warsaw Cup organisers checked in with me yesterday evening. The statement was going to be released at noon here, but they realised that will be during the early morning in America, so they’ve pushed it back to 5pm here instead. We both agreed it would be better if you were both conscious from the start rather than waking up to a shit storm.”

“Ah good thinking Yakov! This is why you’re the best!!”

He snorts in disbelief but continues as if Viktor hadn’t interrupted.

“I’ve made arrangements for us to stay an extra night here too, so you can Skype your boyfriend again today rather than having to wait until tonight or tomorrow.”

“Really?” Viktor asks, his eyes wide and hopeful. “That’s awesome! I promise you won’t see a glimpse of me all day!”

It’s apparent how well he knows his coach when Yakov thanks God.

 

. . .

 

Viktor heads up to his room again and decides to send Yuuri a good morning message so that it’s there waiting for him no matter when he wakes up. He adds a heart at the end and is overjoyed by the sight of the small image. Then he realises he hasn’t told Yuuri how perfect he is yet that day so he sends a rather lengthy message explaining just that. Then a selfie.

Its only 10am by the time he finishes. He wants to go for a swim but knows he needs to leave it a bit longer before he does, so he pulls his laptop onto his outstretched legs and brings up Yuuri’s instagram and twitter and follows him on both. Then he brings up facebook too and shoots off a friend request.

He’d scrolled, intently, through Yuuri’s instagram the previous day but he looks at everything again, relishing any picture of the other man he can find and is disheartened that he features in so few of his own images.

There’s one of him and Phichit and he looks up the other boy since they got along rather well. Gold mine. There’s literally millions of pictures, lots of them featuring Yuuri too and Viktor is now 100% certain he needs to buy the Thai skater a thank you gift for the blessing he is unto Viktor’s picture requirements.

He’s barely a fraction of the way through the pictures when he remembers he was planning to go for a swim. On one hand, there’s still lots of Phichit’s instagram and all of Yuuri’s twitter to go through, on the other he really should get some exercise in and if he swims he can send Yuuri some flattering pictures of himself…

He goes and sends Yuuri both a before and an after picture.

 

. . .

 

It’s 3.30pm when his phone beeps with a message, at which point he’s running out of videos of Yuuri to watch.

“Good morning Viktor <3”

Viktor’s heart rate shoots up at the sight of that little heart that Yuuri sent him. A love heart straight from Yuuri to him!! He wants to send a message back full of nothing but hearts but Yuuri is already typing again so he waits.

“Thank you for the pictures. You are definitely not the only lucky man in this relationship…”

Yuuri said they are in a relationship! Viktor almost faints.

The next message is a picture of Yuuri smiling at him and Viktor feels so happy, then suddenly overwhelmed at the thought that sometime in the not too distant future he will be waking up to Yuuri smiling at him every morning!

This time he really does send a message full of love hearts

Yuuri sends a single one back and Viktor thinks that one heart is worth much more than the 263 he sent.

Another message appears.

“Phichit says he told your stories of our ‘adventures’ but I promise that no matter how he makes it sounds, we weren’t _actually_ arrested when we were in New York!”

Viktor’s eyebrows rise drastically after reading the message and he reads it again to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood. He doesn’t remember-

“Phichit just told me he didn’t tell you that story so please erase any mention of it from your head and let me die quietly in my embarrassment.”

“Nooo Yuuri! It’s ok! Even if you turn out to be a hardened criminal you’re still my soulmate! I will always want you!”

He takes a moment to send a message to Phichit too, demanding the story asap.

The phone rings a moment later and Viktor hits answer instantly.

“Phichit will not be telling you anything if he values his continued existence,” Yuuri informs him immediately.

“Sorry man,” Phichit calls from somewhere behind Yuuri, “One day soon you’ll understand that you just don’t ignore Yuuri when he uses that voice. Otherwise he gets Disappointed In You.”

Viktor chuckles, “Ok but if you’re a wanted criminal I think that’s something you should tell me. I’ll be an alibi for you if you ever need one.”

“Please don’t say things like that Viktor,” Yuuri whimpers at him. “What’s the plan of attack for today? Are you flying back to Saint Petersberg?” he then asks pointedly, clearly trying to move the conversation forward.

“Yakov’s given me an extra day here; we’re flying tomorrow now instead. The WC staff will post their announcement at 5pm here exactly and after that Phichit can post whatever he wants.”

“Maybe not _whatever_ he wants,” Yuuri suggests making Viktor snort and Phichit, who either has amazing hearing or can just sense when he’s being discussed, makes his complaints heard in the background.

“Good point.”

 

. . .

 

After only five minutes, Phichit demands Yuuri go on a jog with him and Viktor reconsiders sending him a gift after all because how can he steal Viktor’s soulmate away from him like that!

Yuuri promises it’ll just be a half hour because even if he’s not skating competitively just now he should still stay in shape. Plus he needs coffee.

Viktor spends the first five minutes rolling impatiently on his bed, checking the time on his phone eight times a minute, before Yuuri’s words about not competing repeat in his head, reminding him of his plan to switch to coaching next year.

With that in mind he pulls Youtube up again, and goes back to watching Yuuri’s most recently performances with a focus on how to improve them and any consistent mistakes he’s making. There’s a new section of his brain devoted to mental notes on Yuuri’s skating by the time his phone chimes with a new message.

“Just need a quick shower then I’ll be online <3”

“Send me a picture ;)” Viktor jokes then chokes when a picture of Yuuri, topless and sweaty, grinning at his reflection in the mirror appears.

“ASDGIOETSIONGD!!!!!!!!!!”

 

. . .

 

By the time Yuuri is redressed (he refused to send any pictures during the process) and on Skype it’s 4.45pm in Warsaw and there’s only fifteen minutes until the world will be told the reality of Viktor’s skate yesterday and, as a result, their soulmate status.

“Good morning Yuuri,” he can’t help but smile happily.

“Hello Viktor. I’m getting a bit nervous now… what is everyone hates me?”

Viktor shushes him gently, “Why could they possibly hate you?”

Apparently this wasn’t the right thing to ask cause Yuuri gives a strangled cry and drops his head into his hands, “I’m an awful skater, every time a big tournament happens I get so anxious I mess everything up! I’m selfish, I always am just thinking about myself and not the people around me and I put on weight so easily people will think your soulmate is a walrus!!!”

“Yuuri, Yuuri please look at me,” he waits patiently as Yuuri’s breathing calms down again, then until finally the other skater finally looks up at him with teary eyes. “Oh Yuuri, do you want to know what I think? I think that you’re an incredible skater who just hasn’t been able to prove it until now but anyone who sees your skate yesterday will know it’s true – you won gold afterall!” He ignores anything Yuuri grumbles under his breath and plows on. “I think you’re an entirely unselfish person, if all the photos Phichit’s shown me are any proof! And the very idea that you worry about being selfish shows how much you care about those around you. And I think that even if you do put some weight on you’ll still be perfect because you’re beautiful inside and out. But if that’s what you’re worried about, as your future coach I’ll make sure that you stay in shape, is that clear?”

Yuuri nods, then sniffles, then offers the brightest teary smile Viktor’s ever seen and he thinks he might have done good.

“Now, as your future coach you need to listen to what I say. First, you will be on the ice practising again as if you were competing this season. I don’t care what routine you do, do mine if you want, but practise your jumps and don’t let any failures get you down, I know you can do it, I’ve seen it. Secondly you won’t care what anyone says when they do find out. If anyone says anything bad then clearly they don’t know you or me and so nothing they say matters because they will never be part of our relationship. That will only ever be the two of us, and if anyone else criticizes you then they are blind because you are absolutely incredible.”

By the time he finishes Yuuri looks absolutely overwhelmed and extremely besotted. Phichit, on the other hand, is standing in the background with his hands clasped to his chest and tears running down his face.

Viktor yelps in embarrassed shock because he hadn’t realised the teen was in the room while he poured his heart out.

“I KNEW I WAS RIGHT ENTRUSTING YUURI’S HEART TO YOU, VIKTOR!” he declares before whipping his phone out of his pocket and Yuuri is suddenly lunging away from the computer to grab him.

“Not yet Phichit! We talked about this!”

Phichit moans like he’s been fatally injured, perhaps impaled on an iceskate. “But Yuuri, I can’t! They need to know! How can you ask me to keep this from my fans? From your fans? They have the right to know!”

“And they will,” Yuuri assures him softly and Viktor thinks he’s had a lot more experience with dramatic Phichit than he seems. “Just wait, four, no _three_ more minutes ok? You can even get your tweet ready now ok? Just wait three more minutes and then you can tell the world!”

Viktor double-checks the time on his phone and it is indeed only three minutes until 5pm in Warsaw. The Warsaw Cup’s twitter page has the statement already prepared and it will be automatically released on the hour.

Viktor has already prepared his tweet and is just waiting patiently for the last few minutes to pass.

Yuuri sits back at the computer again and he is starting to look a bit pale.

“Are you all right, sweetheart?” he asks, throwing in the pet name to try and distract him.

It works if the flush that appears on his cheeks is any indication, but he starts worrying his bottom lip to make up for the added colour.

“I’m just nervous. People are going to want to talk to me after this, like reporters. They’re going to want to know everything about me and about you and about us and why can’t it just be private? I just want to get to know you more and not always worry that someone is breathing down the back of my neck watching my every move…”

“It will be fine Yuuri. There’ll be a few weeks of commotion but then it will settle I promise. We’ll live such an ordinary, perfect life that the only reason they’ll be watching us is to-”

“JUST ONE MINUTE!!!” Phichit screams, obviously not paying any mind to the serious conversation going on.

“Yes thank you Phichit,” Viktor says irritably, tapping his finger loudly against his phone where it lays on the desk beside his computer.

“Yuuri they’ll be watching us because we will have a wonderful life together and a wonderful partnership both on the ice and off it and they’ll all be envious.”

He glances at the clock on his computer.

“Now just take a deep breath, and-”

“FIVE O’CLOCK GO GO GO!” Phichit cheers slamming a button on his phone.

“Everything will be ok,” he finishes.

Yuuri smiles at him, beatifically, “Thank you Viktor. I think I’ll give it half an hour or so before I look at twi-”

“VIKTOR!! YOU POSTED EARLY!!!” Phichit screams and without a second though Yuuri is grasping for his phone and loading twitter, regardless of what he just said.

“My finger slipped,” Viktor replies with a smirk. He never said _he’d_ wait until 5, just that Phichit had to.

“Thank you to my soulmate Katsuki Yuuri for performing my Warsaw FS with such passion! #KatsukiYuuri #luckiestmanalive #soulmates #viktuuri”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With regards to the timeline, I think what I’ve done is just added an extra year and GPF between Sochi and Viktor going to Japan. If anyone knows of any posts that give a clear and precise timeline for the show I would be super appreciative!!!
> 
> Some parts of this were like pulling teeth but I hope you like Viktor's part!


	4. I Know That Greatness Lies In You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone tells Yuuri the things he needs to hear.  
> Plus people on the twitter say things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys this fic was up for more than a week and nobody pointed out the SUPER EMBARRASSING fact I had a spelling mistake in my title!!! Thank you so much to Aashi for finally pointing it out! I can’t say just how mortified I am! This is what happens when I always post so late at night!!  
> But anyway, thank you for all the comments! Special thanks also to rippleeffect for taking the time to explain the skating season so well! After your comment I’ve decided to just shove the Fukuoka GPF in to make up for the added year in this fic so thanks for mentioning that ^w^
> 
> Sorry this took longer to finish than expected!

_ISU_Warsaw: An unusual situation. Nikiforov and Katsuki (Jpn) switched just before his FS. Nikiforov will keep the gold. Full details: link._

**Nikiforov gets SWITCHED UP at Warsaw Cup by I. Sceight.**

Earlier today the Warsaw Cup announced via twitter that the performance given by reigning World and Grand Prix champion, Viktor Nikiforov, that earned him yet another gold, was, in fact, given by his newly discovered soulmate, Yuuri Katsuki, of Japan.

Since this announcement many experts have scoured the rule book but, thus far it seems that there is a lack of any rules relating to this, rather unusual situation. In fact the ISU, in their press release, have declared they will be adding a clause to section 6Bii of the rules to deal with this situation but, without anything in place now, have said their decision that Nikiforov will keep his medal is not up for discussion.

Regardless of their decision, figure skating fans around the world are weighing in on this controversy with some not at all pleased with the ISU’s announcement.

_MissSwiss: @ISU_Figure Nikiforov didn’t even PERFORM his FS! How does he deserve gold for that?_

_Ice_life: surely if Katsuki was the one to perform the score should be split between them? #GoldforChris_

_ImAGeneral: the ISU once again kissing Nikiforov’s ass. Anyone else and that gold would have been rightfully taken away._

_hardrocklancelot: @ImAGeneral The ISU did what they could in a bad situation and theyre making sure it wont happen again. #whatcanyoudo_

Others are defending the decision, saying that defaulting the medal to Giacometti wouldn’t be an appropriate option either.

_BlackBattalion: Looking at the scores after the SP, anyone think Giacometti would really be happy to be given the gold?_

Given the long-lasting, friendly rivalry between Giacometti and Nikiforov it doesn’t seem likely that the Swiss skater would want to finally beat the Russian by default.

In fact, Christophe Giacometti does not seem to have any hard feelings about the silver medal at all, if his twitter storm since the announcement was made is any indication.

_christophe-gc: ’Victuuri’ oh my god you guys! STAHHP! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3_

_christophe-gc: When’s the wedding?_

_christophe-gc: Oh my god I’ll be your best man right @v-nikiforov??_

_phichit+chu: @christophe-gc you be Viktor’s and I’ll be Yuuri’s #weddingoftheyear_

However regardless of which side you agree with, the most common thought of both competitors and fans seems to be: Where did that performance come from?

_LinSamuelCatmanduh: wait, why isn’t Katsuki skating this season?_

_AndPeggy: who even is Yuuri Katsuki?_

_Hanabiological: Ok but this is Katsuki at the GPF last year… youtube.com/hifodshaio_

_Rhapsidasical: @hanabiological Katsuki’s had good skates in the past, people bomb at their first GPF all the time, just not normally that badly…_

_cptcinnabunny: OK BUT YUURI KNOWS VIKTOR’S ROUTINE?!?!?!?!?!_

_chowchowwchowww: @cptcinnabunny I KNOW RIGHT???_

Answers to the question of why Katsuki knows and can easily perform Nikiforov’s routine will have to wait, as neither skater nor their coaches have yet to offer any comment on the affair.

All we can say for now is that we wish the new soulmates well for the future and look forward to seeing Yuuri Katsuki return to competitive skating, as it seems our readers do too, if the more than two million views on this video of Katsuki’s performance are any indication…

 

. . .

 

_Katsu-m: @KatsukiYuuri YOU FOUND YOUR SOULMATE AND DIDN’T EVEN BOTHER TO PHONE US!!!!!!!!_

 

. . .

 

It takes all of ten seconds before Yuuri’s phone starts exploding with notifications. His name is being tagged everywhere, on all social media sites, and he wishes he’d had the forethought to change his settings before now. In the minute it takes him to change his settings he’s had over 1200 new notifications and he wants to cry all over again.

Setting his twitter to only be told if someone he follows mentions him makes things much better, but then he realizes that the 50+ people all tweeting his name all probably deserve a response.

In the end the only one he immediately replies to is his sister, because he really should have told his family…

He retweets Viktor’s original message, adding nothing more than a <3 and regrets even that when it immediately blows up.

He puts his phone down and looks back at Viktor who seems to be revelling in the drama they’ve caused, then at Phichit who is typing furiously away on his phone.

He feels a bit faint.

“Viktor… I…”

Viktor glances up at him, then double-takes.”Phichit! Yuuri needs help!”

The way Viktor instantly drops his phone and Phichit throws his away to jump the bed and push Yuuri down, gently but firmly on the covers makes his heart feel really warm.

“Yuuri just lay down, I’ll get you some water, and maybe some aspirin!” Phichit says, hastily. “If that doesn’t work I’ll call an ambulance you’ll be ok I promise!”

Yuuri bats the hand on his head away and tries to sit up despite the other hand pushing him down.

“I’m fine, this is just a bit overwhelming, I just need a minute,” he tells them over their panicked babbling.

“Ok, you take a minute, I’ll phone the ambulance and hopefully they’ll be here by the time your minute is finished!”

“Ambulance!?” Viktor cries from where the laptop is still sat at the bottom of the bed. “Oh my god Yuuri talk to me! Phichit what’s happening?!”

Yuuri forces himself up, his face more flushed with embarrassed irritation at the ridiculousness of them both.

“I’m fine, really. Let’s all just calm down for a moment please, I just need to breathe without either of you going on about twitter and news sites.”

Both their mouths snap closed instantly, and Yuuri closes his eyes and imagines just being back at home, in the onsen, with nothing but the sound of running water for company.

It works but now he really needs to pee.

Great.

 

. . .

 

He is in the bathroom for half a minute and when he comes back both Phichit and Viktor guiltily put their phones down.

“It’s fine, go ahead. You can still look even if I don’t want to see what everyone is saying about me.”

“It’s all positive, honestly!” Phichit tells him.

Yuuri offers him a disbelieving look, “Phichit, it’s the internet. The day every person says nice things about other people is the day I win Worlds.”

“Well all of the people who matter are saying nice things,” he offers sheepishly. (Yuuri ignores Viktor’s whisper of ‘if Yuuri wins Worlds then we’ll have world peace…’) “Ellen has retweeted Viktor’s announcement tweet and a link to your performance and says she wants you on the show!”

“Oh god, please stop talking, you’re going to make me faint again,” he says, going back to sitting on his bed to see Viktor clearly.

Viktor, who is not looking at his phone but instead watching Yuuri with a worried expression. 

“Give it a day and everyone will calm down, I promise. Let’s talk about something else instead. How about when I’ll be able to actually see you?” he offers and they both smile at the thought.

Then Viktor frowns a little, “My schedule’s really full right now, up until Worlds in March… But if you want to come to Russia I can definitely make time to show you around and you can meet Makkachin and skate with me – we can do a duet!” he exclaims.

“Ah, that sounds really nice… but…” Yuuri rubs the back of his head with his hand and looks away. “The other reason I’m not skating much this year is because it’s my last year of university, and I’ve got a lot of work to finish over the next few months… I’m not sure I’ll be able to find time to travel to Russia just now, I’m really sorry!” 

Viktor’s face looks extremely disappointed for a single second before he pastes a wide smile over it and waves his hands back and forth, “It’s fine, obviously. We can skype a lot and message all the time and we’ll meet properly before we know it! Obviously your degree is most important. Obviously.”

Yuuri feels awful for making Viktor sad but he’s already settled on his plan and he’s not going to change it now. He quickly fires an email off to his professors before looking back at Viktor.

“So did you tell your parents?” he asks, thinking of Mari’s angry tweet.

Viktor laughs awkwardly and looks playfully embarrassed at the question so obviously he forgot too.

“They sent me a very frustrated message a minute ago and made me promise to introduce you to them as soon as possible. Mama is overjoyed and adores you already!”

“I’ll have to phone my parents later tonight, when it’s a better time in Japan, but my sister Mari knows and has chewed me out for not telling her myself. I’m sure mum and dad will be so pleased too. I hope we can visit them at the onsen together sometime soon!”

His phone rings suddenly, halting the conversation in an instant as they all watch as he picks it up.

A glance at the screen makes him gulp. There’s someone else he probably should have talked to before now…

“Hello coach,” he whimpers into the phone.

“Yuuri,” is all he says at first, the word holding the promise of his coming irritation. They both take a deep breath, in synchrony, before Celestino continues. “Would you like to explain why my phone has been ringing constantly for the last twenty minutes and reporters have started turning up at the door to my rink? Or perhaps you want me to explain instead?”

“Well, coach, you see, yesterday something life changing might have happened, and obviously I’m getting older so sometimes I forget important things like telling the important people in my life the good news and I’m sorry I didn’t call you but if it helps I forgot to call my parents too so please don’t be mad!”

Celestino sighs at him, and Yuuri can clearly picture the hand that is over his eyes in resigned frustration.

“Forget about it Yuuri, just do what you need to do just now. Tell Phichit I expect him to be back at the rink tomorrow morning!”

Yuuri passes that on and then tries to ignore Phichit’s complaints and trying to focus on the words he needed to say.

“Actually coach there’s something I really need to talk to you about… I can come around to the rink later today if that’s good?”

“No, whatever you do, don’t come to the rink today, ok? Once practise is finished today I’ll come around to your apartment. Let’s let the press calm down a bit more before you talk to them…”

“Ah, good point. Ok I’ll see you this evening then.”

“Alright Yuuri, and just so you know, I’m happy for you. I hope everything works out.”

“Thanks coach, that means a lot. I’m sorry I haven’t performed well this year…”

“What are you talking about Yuuri? Seems like you’re performing better than ever,” he laughs. “Now if only you could perform your own routines as well!”  
Yuuri grumbles at the teasing but is smiling again.

“I’m sure you’re in the middle of talking to Nikiforov, so get back to him before he does something drastic.”

“Ok, thank you coach,” he says once more before ending the call and looking back to Viktor who gives him a reassuring smile.

“What do you need to talk to coach about anyway?” Phichit asks suddenly, breaking their eye contact. “You going to start work on a new routine?”

Yuuri looks at his best friend, roommate, fellow skater and the best emotional support he could ask for and realises that telling his coach will be the easier part, telling Phichit that he’s planning to leave Detroit and train under Viktor will be the real struggle. And it starts now.

 

. . .

 

In the end, Phichit takes it better than he expects. There’s tears, and hugs, and he gets down on his knees to beg Yuuri to stay, but Yuuri knows that Phichit understands him, understands that this is his dream come true and won’t stand in the way, like Yuuri wouldn’t try to stop Phichit from performing The King and The Skater.

“Besides,” he adds, “Ciao-Ciao will be rather busy next year I imagine, and trying to train TWO grand prix final skaters would probably make his hair go grey – er.”

It takes Phichit a moment but he figures out what Yuuri is implying and throws himself back into a hug and whispers promises in his ear. They’ll both get to the GPF next year, Yuuri is sure of it now.

Phichit pops his head over Yuuri’s shoulder to glare at the laptop, where Viktor has waited patiently while they finish conversing. “You’d better get him to the GPF next year! I refuse to participate if he’s not!” 

Viktor smirks back, “There won’t be any problems then, I just hope you don’t expect to win against my Yuuri.”

Yuuri flushes intensely even though Phichit just laughs at Viktor’s challenge.

 

. . .

 

It’s getting late in Warsaw, Yuuri knows, and Viktor is starting to look tired. He’s been holed up in his room all day, only seeing the room service staff, Yakov and Yuuri, who came in for a few minutes seemingly for no reason other than to curse at Viktor.

Half an hour after the announcement was made, someone seemed to suddenly have acquired Viktor’s personal phone number and it had started to ring incessantly. 

After a few minutes of repeatedly declining calls, he’d regretfully messaged Yakov to ask him to use the hotel telephone if he needed him, then turned his phone off.

It took them a whole hour more before they found out Yuuri’s number and he was forced to make similar plans, using Phichit as an intermediary until he disappears for snacks mid-afternoon.

“It’ll die down soon enough,” Viktor was still reassuring him, though he looked less certain each time, both of them keeping an eye on their social medias on their laptops where the fire is burning stronger than ever.

Yuuri sighs, “I guess we should start thinking about what our first statement will be? We’ll have to make one eventually…” 

Viktor hums in agreement, “I think I’ll have no choice but to give the reporters something tomorrow morning when I head to the airport. Hopefully once they’ve got something from me they’ll give you a bit more space… but maybe we should plan the main points together anyway.”

Yuuri nods thoughfully. “They’ll probably ask when we’ll be meeting, how we feel against being opponents, and, well, I guess just how we feel in general… Ugh this is so stressful already!”

“You’re not a big fan of the press Yuuri?”

He shudders at the thought, “No, not really. I get too anxious when I’m talking to them cause they remind me that people are always watching me, hoping that I’ll do well and then I always disappoint them. They don’t really help my self-confidence much I guess…” Yuuri says with a self-depreciating laugh.

There’s a pinched look to Viktor’s face. “Do you have family and friends that watch your perform in your hometown?”

Yuuri nods, feeling a small amount of guilt over how long it’s been since he’s seen them. Yuuko’s even had children and he’s only seen pictures so far!

“Do you think _they’re_ disappointed in you?” Viktor asks pointedly, shaking Yuuri out of his thoughts.

When Yuuri just stares blankly at the screen, Viktor asks again, “Do you think your family and friends will be disappointed in what you’ve achieved so far? It’s not a small thing to reach the Grand Prix Final, Yuuri, not many skaters ever manage that. Maybe your first one could have gone better, but I promise you, I have no doubts at all that there will be a second, and a third and probably more than that too if you just keep trying.”

Yuuri tries to speak but suddenly his throat feels tight and he can barely even swallow past the lump that’s suddenly blocking it so he doesn’t get the chance to refute Viktor before he continues.

“Everyone knows how well you can skate now, Yuuri. Maybe being in my body gave you the confidence you needed to try, but now you need to take that confidence and show it at your competitions too ok? I know that you can do it, and, not to brag, but there’s not many people who know more about winning skating competitions than me, so trust that I know what I’m talking about, ok?”

Viktor gives him the most ridiculous, blinding smile when he finishes, and Yuuri can’t help the sob that slips out, or hold the tears back from coursing down his cheeks.

“EH!? Yuuri are you crying? But I said nice things! Don’t cry, I don’t know how to help crying people in person, let alone a continent away!”

His hiccoughing sobs merge with wheezed bouts of laughter at the sight of Viktor fussing at him through the screen.

It takes Viktor a few moments to realise he’s laughing more than crying now and he ends up just watching him with an adorably befuddled expression.

“I think I might have to tell the reporters that, while insanely talented, my soulmate appears to be completely insane,” he ponders aloud.

Yuuri just laughs harder and eventually Viktor cracks a smile too.

(It takes him a long while, but when he finally manages to stop laughing, Yuuri gives Viktor a soft, fragile smile and thanks him for saying exactly what he needed to hear. Viktor reassures him that he’ll tell Yuuri the truth whenever he needs to hear it – that’s his job now, after all.)

 

. . .

 

While Viktor is the one who has to deal with the reporters first (and yes, they did eventually manage to discuss what he’d say), Yuuri instead has to deal with talking to Celestino that night, hours after Viktor has retired to bed.

He arrives at 8pm, likely immediately after the last skaters have left the rink and Phichit, who had reappeared with a pizza to share with Yuuri, takes that as a sign to make his disappearance, leaving Yuuri to talk to Celestino in private.

“Well that’s not ominous,” the Italian coach jokes as Phichit quietly closes the door behind him.

Yuuri can’t bring himself to laugh along, leaving the joke to fall short.

“Do you want anything to drink coach?” he offers, wanting something to do with himself but Celestino shakes his head.

“I’m fine, maybe you could tell me what’s going on, I get the feeling it’s not good news…”

Yuuri gulps. “You’ve been really good to me coach, I’m sorry I didn’t keep you in the loop the last few days, you deserved that much and-”

“Hey hey, what’s all this?” Celestino asks, interrupting him. “Sure I’d have liked to be in the know as things happened, but you just found your soulmate Yuuri! I don’t blame you for being a bit forgetful with other things! Plus with the way you skated that day, I don’t think I could be happier for you if I tried!”

Yuuri gulped and tried to start speaking again, but the words are lodged in his throat and he can feel his eyes starting to sting and wants to hit himself because hasn’t he already cried enough today?

“This is exactly it coach, you’re always too good to me. I’ve been absolutely awful this year and yet you are still happy for me when I somehow manage to not mess up for once!” The words come out all at once and he takes a breath to calm down again, not looking the older man in the face as he does.

“I haven’t been good this year,” he repeats again, “obviously there’s been reasons, you know, first Vicchan, then trying to finish school, but it’s affected my skating more than it should have and I feel like I’ve wasted time. And now… and now my contract with you is coming to an end and… and… and I’m not going to ask you to renew it coach. I’m so sorry!”

There’s a lone sock, one he’s been missing for a week, poking out from under his bed and he can’t stop staring at it, even when it starts to look blurry.

“What are you going to do now?” Celestino asks, his voice lacking any infliction to indicate how he feels about Yuuri’s announcement.

He hesitates, there’s no nice way to tell someone you’re replacing them.

“Yuuri?” Celestino asks and now his voice is slightly worried so Yuuri hurries to respond.

“Well, you see… Viktor has decided he’s going to take some time off, possibly a year, possibly more, who knows. But he’s said that he would like to, well, coach me if I want during that time. I – I’m sorry coach, you really have been so good to me but this is Viktor Nikiforov, who for some reason I don’t really understand or fully believe yet, is also my soulmate!” He glances at Celestino for a moment before looking away again. “He’s willing to make Hasetsu our home rink too, so I can be closer to my family and after last year, I’d really like that right now, it’s been too long…”

He stutters to a halt and goes to look up again when suddenly arms wrap around his shoulders and pull him into a broader chest and Yuuri doesn’t remember Celestino ever hugging him so forcefully before.

“Thank god Yuuri, thank the gods,” Celestino is muttering into his hair and that wasn’t quite what Yuuri was expecting.

Celestino pulls back, holding him at arm’s length and smiling proudly at him.

“I thought you were going to say you were quitting skating! Lord, Yuuri, don’t do that to an old man! I was about to have a heart attack at the thought!”

Yuuri stares blankly for a second, blinking owlishly at his coach. “You’re not… mad?” he asks, tentatively.

“Mad? Dear lord no! I’m upset you won’t be my pupil any more, but I know how much Nikiforov meant to you even before all this happened! I certainly don’t blame you for taking the chance to spend more time with your soulmate AND your family! You just have to promise me, no matter what, you won’t give up because you have so much potential and I never managed to do my job pulling that out of you so I just hope your Viktor can do it in my place. All I ever want is for you to be happy Yuuri, and show the world just how good you can be if given the chance!”

Yuuri is the one to throw himself into the hug this time, and he laughs with joy when Celestino wraps his arms around him in return. 

“Just promise me you’ll do your best. And if Nikiforov turns out to be an awful coach, you’re always welcome back here Yuuri, ok?”

Yuuri backs off and looks up at his mentor.

“Ok coach, I promise.”

Celestino offers him a hand to shake and Yuuri is happy to take it. “You’re really too good to me coach!”

“I’d argue the opposite but that’s in the past now. There’s still a few months let until the season, and our contract, ends, so let’s see how much we can pull out of you before then, ok? I’m sure, with a bit of work, we can polish a few things up enough to give Nikiforov a surprise when he gets to training you, I hear he likes that sort of thing!”

Yuuri smiles and groan simultaneously, knowing that means practising his quads especially, but the thought definitely isn’t as horrific as it had been just a few days ago.

“Ok coach, you’re on!”

 

. . .

 

Phichit arrives back in the room not long after their coach leaves.

“How did it go?”

“He’s happy for me, he really is, I can’t believe it!” Yuuri announces and Phichit smiles, though there’s a slightly sad edge to it that Yuuri doesn’t want to think about.  
It’s hard though, so he stands up and pulls Phichit into a hug that Phichit returns, tightly.

“I’m going to miss you so much Yuuri!” he whispers and Yuuri strokes his hair gently.

“I’m not gone yet Phichit, still a few more months until I graduate! We’ll have lots of adventures in that time, I’m sure, and it’s not like you’ll not see me after that either, we’ll still be competing and I’ll be insulted if you don’t come see me in Japan!”

Phichit laughs, finally, and when he looks up he’s back to his usual self. “You bet we’ll have adventures! You need to show me Japan, with Viktor of course, I’ll let him tag along! And in return I’ll show you Thailand and let you crash with me whenever you come back to the States!”

Yuuri smiles widely, “It’s a deal.”

“Are you REALLY not going to see Viktor until you graduate?” Phichit asks, sounding slightly heartbroken at the thought but Yuuri just laughs and winks at him. 

“Of course not. But let’s keep that a secret for now…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All twitter handles are completely fictional and any similarity to real accounts is entirely accidental. Except for my one haha. And the ISU_Figure which is real and purposefully used.
> 
> I only checked this through twice with tired eyes, so please feel free to point out any mistakes! (Also didn't get around to doing much coding it properly before posting OTL
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment on your way out!


	5. The Story Of That Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is Viktor's fault really...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter covers a few days and, well, most of it was not planned at all. I blame Viktor and Phichit (but mostly Viktor).

Viktor leaves the hotel at 6.30 the next morning but he knows better than to expect that to mean he’ll be able to avoid the reporters. As expected there’s a small crowd of them hanging around the lobby and his hoodie and shades do very little to hide his identity from them, especially with Yakov, Yuri and the rest of the Russian entourage with him. With a sigh he pushes the hood down as the first reporter leaps to their feet and pockets the glasses.

“Viktor! Can you give me a statement about-”

“Mr Nikiforov, how do you feel about-”

“Just a quick question sir!”

They’re like pigeons fighting over a scrap of food as they shout over each other, not entirely appropriately for the time of morning. He holds up a hand to silence them then gestures for one lady near the front to speak first, giving her his trademark smile.

She flushes but pushes ahead none-the-less. “Mr Nikiforov, congratulations on finding your soulmate. I’m sure that you and Mr Katsuki have taken the time to talk since the Swap but what is your plan now? Will he be joining you in Russia?”

“Thank you. Yuuri and I are, of course, overjoyed to find each other, however at present we are both very busy people – I have to train for the Grand Prix and then Worlds and Yuuri is in his final year of university and, sadly, has to give his attention to his education first. Sadly because of this, it’s unlikely either of us will find the time to meet up until sometime after Worlds.”

The sad expression on his face is entirely sincere, if perhaps a bit over-acted for the photographers’ benefit. The reporter offers her sympathies and there are a few sounds similar to aww-ing from a few in the crowd. Viktor gave himself a mental pat on the back, gaining sympathy from the reporters will go far in helping Yuuri’s reputation.

“And will Mr Katsuki be returning to skating?” another reporter pipes up from the back.

“That is entirely up to Yuuri now, isn’t it? Right now I think he completely intends to, but who knows what will happen? Personally, I think it would be a great shame to lose such a talented skater from the community but each skater has their own priorities and own choices to make.”

A man in the middle raises his hand and Viktor nods to him.

“How did you feel when you realized the identity of your soulmate?” A bright smile crosses Viktor’s face but the man continues before he can answer. “As several times World and Grand Prix champion, a skater on his level is almost an insult to your abilities, no?”

An anxious hush descends over the group and the smile slips off Viktor’s face. Surely people don’t really think that, right?

“Do you have a soulmate, Mr….?”

“Ivanov. And yes, I do.”

“Then how would you feel, Mr Ivanov, if I called your soulmate a waste of space and not worthy of any respect from other human beings?”

The reporter simultaneously quails and riles at the aggravation, a strange combination of actions to see at the same time, before he finally settles on standing straighter, as if to attention.

“I would tell you how meaningless your opinion is in less than polite terms I imagine.”

Viktor nods, staring intently into the other’s eyes. “Well then you have your answer. You can take your comment and shove it up your ass. As vile as it is I hope it gives you stomach ulcers.”

Yakov is groaning at his side but Yuri is staring at him, with more awe in his eyes than he ever directed at Viktor’s skating.

“If anyone else thinks there is any need to comment on how _suitable_ Yuuri is as my soulmate then there are surely some gossip rags that will value your opinion even while the rest of society does not.”

There are already phones in the hands of some reporters, no doubt tweets are already being released with his statement emblazoned across them.

The reporter in question looks faintly disgruntled but after several seconds, gives Viktor a brusque nod.

Another reporter’s hand flies into the air, on realizing the discussion on that topic is finished and Viktor turns away from the rude man, instantly pasting a warm smile back onto his face as the new man speaks.

“How did you feel on seeing your own free skate performed by someone else?”

“Well, I’ll be honest, at first I was horrified. The Switch happened _just_ before I was going to skate, and I wasn’t expecting it at all so it took a few seconds before I realized what was going on! By the time I understood, Yuuri was on the ice and I had no idea who he was. The chances of the person in my body not only being a skater but knowing my routine were not just slim, they were non-existent! But somehow, it was Yuuri… and when I watched him perform…” he trails off with a fond smile, not speaking for a few seconds with an entirely besotted expression on his face before he seems to give himself a small shake. “Well you all saw it, who could have thought? Seeing someone else perform my program, and with so much emotion, was overwhelming.”

There’s another pregnant pause, hoping he’ll continue but instead he just sighs gently to himself and smiles more.

“Mr Nikiforov, how do you feel about competing against your soulmate in the future?”

“Ah, that sounds so exciting! It will be exciting to see what happens next season!!” he announces brightly and then before anyone else can offer another question, Yakov is there at his elbow shuffling him along forcefully and concluding the interview despite the protests of the reporters.

Viktor just waves back at them as he leaves, looking forward to being home again so he can tell Makkachin all about his new daddy.

 

. . .

 

He watches Yuuri’s first appearance post-drama that night, the video showing him being swarmed outside of an ice-rink, Phichit and their coach, Celestino, trying to keep people back. The crowd looks several times bigger than the few reporters he dealt with and Viktor calls later that day to apologise for likely causing it with his defensive statements earlier that day.

The same generic questions get asked to begin with, though there are a few more comments about his previous GPF performance though none blatantly disparaging, but Yuuri manages to field all of them well.

But then one reporter opens his mouth, and Viktor is sure the assholes must be releated, and says “Not a lot is known about how the soulmate pairings works, but sometimes they are a bit… unexpected…” other reporters back slightly away, obviously getting the same vibe Viktor does in an instant. “How do you feel your worth compares with that of Viktor Nikiforov, when he already has so many achievements to his name?” 

The implied ‘and you don’t’ is clear to all.

Yuuri opens his mouth, croaks and then closes it again to swallow. “Well, I think that saying that is maybe… that it’s a bit…”

Viktor wants to break something at the hitch in Yuuri’s voice that he, unfortunately, recognizes indicates tears are coming.

“SELFIE TIME!” Phichit suddenly yells, throwing himself into the crowd, grabbing the man around the neck and snapping a picture in all of three seconds before forcefully pushing Yuuri into the building, ignoring the shouts of the reporters who still have questions.

Viktor remembers he really means to buy that boy something for being a gift to the world.

He is doubly sure when Phichit posts the selfie to instagram with the tags #whoisthisguy? #douchenozzleoftheday and #dontmesswithmyboy.

There’s a LOT of comments, and a few even identify the man and the company he works for.

Viktor takes to twitter.

_v-nikiforov: No more interviews for @LYKNews until someone says sorry #douchenozzleoftheday #howdareyou #viktuuri_

Then browses a few hashtags to see what people are saying. Most people in his are kind, a few crying over his sudden lack of bachelorship but he’s not entirely surprised.

When he looks at tweets tagged with Yuuri’s handle, however, there are a whole lot more negativity in amongst the congratulatory messages. His fingers dance across the keyboard before he even realizes he’s responding.

_Sophiatina: @YuuriKatsudon You were last in the GPF, your skating sucks, how do you even think you’re worth Viktor?_

_v-nikiforov: @Sophiatina I must have missed you competing at the GPF last year since you’re obviously such a good skater yourself._

_nicksdick: @YuuriKatsudon Viktor is to talented and handsome for you_

_v-nikiforov: hello @nicksdick. Yuuri’s is better (I would know). Thanks for the concern but Yuuri is more than I could have ever imagined._

_DontTellGeorge: @YuuriKatsudon go back to China!!_

_v-nikiforov: @DontTellGeorge the placements for the Grand Prix events is entirely random but maybe he’ll go to the Cup of China! Let’s cheer for him!_

_suckmyclock: @YuuriKatsudon GAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY_

_v-nikiforov: @suckmyclock Theres nothing gay about two men who figure skate. Oh, apparently there is. And thanks but Yuuri’s clock is FABULOUS #GayForYuu_

He answers a few more but his blood boils with each message he sees and eventually Makkachin yips at him and Viktor decides to take him on a walk to cool his head. He doesn’t even noticed until much later that the last two characters of one reply were cut off.

When he gets back there are several thousand notifications waiting for him and he thinks maybe, just maybe, the internet is a bit too interested in his and Yuuri’s relationship…

 

. . . 

 

This is entirely Phichit’s fault. And Celestino’s, if he’s honest. And Viktor’s too for that matter, Yuuri decides as he sits in a quiet room in California. If Viktor hadn’t gone on a twitter smackdown like he did, then run out of characters in one of them and coined the phrase #GayForYuu, then Yuuri is sure that everyone would have forgotten about Ellen inviting him onto her show. 

But then Viktor had to go and accidentally make him a _meme_! There’s pictures and everything! The one he’d seen most was a picture of him in Viktor’s body mid-quad and the words ‘Fails own competition completely, wins gold in soulmates body. #GayForYuu’ but that was just the start. Any extreme action or proclamation for someone else was now followed by #GayForYuu. 

The worst, the _absolute_ worst, was Phichit. Of course.

Pass him a drink. “Thanks Yuuri, Gay For Yuu.”

Do a quad at the rink, “Wow Yuuri that was awesome! So Gay For Yuu.”

In the middle of a jog round the park “Looking good Yuuri, could I be more Gay For Yuu?”

Of course Viktor loved it too, every tweet, no matter what the topic was about, was finished with the hashtag.

_v-nikiforov: gotta go back to practice today :( #GayForYuu_

_v-nikiforov: wish Yuuri was here #GayForYuu_

_v-nikiforov: rainy today #GayForYuu_

And Chris definitely wasn’t helping either with his flirty comments on everything!

_chris-gc: #GayForYuu and you and you and you ;)_

_chris-gc: @v-nikiforov I’m #GayForYuu too, space for a third?_

By the end of that day #GayForYuu was trending and Celestino and Phichit were explaining that, yes someone really wanted him on a tv show, and that potential sponsors will be a dime a dozen if he goes on a program like Ellen. He says he’ll think about it and takes a break from skating to speak with Viktor, hoping he’ll talk sense.

Sadly Viktor, rather loudly, agrees with Phichit and Celestino, so somehow, that very weekend, Yuuri is flown first class over to California and driven to a hotel then taken to a studio in the morning.

What even is his life?

His reverie is broken by a short knock at the door and the head of an assistant popping in. “You’ll be on in two minutes Mr Katsuki, could you follow me please?”

He nods but doesn’t try to say anything, given the high chance that he might vomit.

It isn’t even two minutes, he’s sure, definitely about ten seconds at most before he hears Ellen start his queue.

“Now as you all know, both Portia and I have a thing for soulmate stories,” the crowd is already starting to murmur in excitement. “You also probably know that I spend a lot of time on the internet looking at memes, and so who else could I invite onto the show but Yuuri Katsuki himself?”

The assistant beside him looks at him expectantly, then gives him a small push when his feet don’t move. He steps out from behind the panel trying to look confident and at ease but then he sees the size of the audience and he didn’t know so many people would be watching oh god.

Ellen is standing up for him though, and he forces himself to focus on her. He can do this, just walk straight to her, smile a bit, and trip over that step. He yelps when the world tips but Ellen reaches out quickly to steady him and he bows deeply, apologizing, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment.

Ellen just laughs and pats his back, pulling him into a surprise hug when he straightens again. “You sure do get stage-fright, don’t you Yuuri?” she whispers while they hug and he chuckles nervously but doesn’t have the chance to respond before they’re pulling away and she’s carefully leading him to his seat, to make sure he doesn’t manage to trip again.

“Mr Yuuri Katsuki everyone!” Ellen says again, and the crowd clap some more while Yuuri waves and tries to smile but he knows his face is bright red with mortification and probably will stay that way the whole time he’s sat there in front of them.

“Now Yuuri, before we start I have a few messages for you,” she says and the screen behind them both changes to display a tweet.

A tweet from Viktor himself posted only minutes ago.

_v-nikiforov: Do your best Yuuri, just be yourself and everyone will adore you like I do! #GayForYuu_

Ellen reads it aloud and both she and the audience of mostly women coo over how adorable it is. Yuuri doesn’t mind though because he feels a bit more comfortable after hearing a message from Viktor, it feels almost as if he’s in the room with him too.

“We’ve got another one, from your friend, Phichit…”

The screen changes again as she starts to read from a card.

_phichit+chu: Yuuri you’ll probably trip on the step but don’t worry it’s endearing. Do your best! #GayForYuu_

Yuuri buries his face in his hands at the reminder of his clumsy failings. “Put Viktor’s one back up please!” he begs and the audience laughs but thankfully he request is answered.

“So Yuuri,” Ellen begins and he straights up again, mentally fortifying himself, he’s never very good with interviews…

“We’ve all seen the video by now but neither you nor Viktor has offered a full explanation of what happened that day. Can you run us through everything from your point of view?”

“Well, the thing that caused the most problems that day was that… well… I kind of forgot it was my birthday and that the Switch might happen. I was too excited to watch Viktor skate that day…”

“So you’re a fan of his?” Ellen interrupts, a painfully amused grin on her face.

“I, um, guess you could say so,” he replies, trying not to think of all the, now signed, posters and merchandise back in his dorm room.

“Phichit and I were watching the Warsaw Cup final and Viktor was just about to skate when suddenly it was hard to breathe for a few seconds. When I managed to catch my breath again I looked up and Mr Feltsman, Viktor’s coach, was there, talking to me in Russian and my mind was just sort of blank… I only managed to catch on to what was happening as Mr Feltsman was pushing me out onto the ice. I think you can see in the videos that I try to go back to explain but, well, Mr Feltsman seemed very scary at the time, when I didn’t know what he was saying, so I tried to run away and accidentally went further onto the ice instead! I thought about going back again, I really did but then there was a spot-light on me and my brain just sort of fizzled out of existence again and it decided that the only options were going back to the scary coach or performing. Somehow it figured the second option was better.”

“And that’s when this happened,” Ellen jumps in and gestures to the screen behind her which changes to show the video of his performance. It’s not the first time he’s watched it but each time he is still both horrified and transfixed by it. His mind, critically, picks out all the flaws he makes, but for once he can also see how beautifully he skated and the determination to perform his _own_ routines that well reasserts itself in him again.

The clapping of the studio audience pulls him out of his thoughts to see that the video has just ended and he turns back to face Ellen again.

“It was a really beautiful performance, Yuuri. I’m not much of a figure skating expert but you definite deserved a gold for that!”

Yuuri laughs bashfully. “Well that’s not entirely how it works and people are still rightfully debating what should have happened, but all I wanted at the time was to make sure Viktor didn’t lose a competition that he would have won had the Switch not happened.”

“Gosh you’re just too precious!” she declares and Yuuri flushes and ducks his head for a moment to the cheers of the audience.

“One thing many people have been wondering though, is how did you know Viktor’s performance so well? I don’t think it’s common to be practicing other people’s routines, is that right?”

“Yeah that’s right…” he mumbles, fidgeting slightly. “I’ve… always been inspired by Viktor’s skating. I saw a video of one of his performances not long after I started as a child and since then I’ve always aimed to be at the level he is.”

There’s more cooing from the observers and Ellen looks like she might die from joy.

“But this last year… hasn’t been a good one for me. Since the Grand Prix in Sochi, my skating’s been… rather disappointing to put it in simple terms. After doing so badly at the last competitions of last season, including Nationals, I lost a lot of motivation for my own routines and… and was starting to consider my future a lot more than I had before. I thought that if I could find motivation to skate anything then it would be better than not skating at all, and since Viktor’s performances have always been the best motivation for me I ended up practicing that instead. It wasn’t even on purpose at first, I’d just be idly skating, and then realize that the step sequence was the same as Viktor’s, or I’d finish a jump combination and finish in the same pose as he does. Somehow, from there, it was a simple step to just starting to practice the whole program. In my head I decided that I would take a trip home soon, and perform it privately for my childhood best friend who always supports me but somehow it ended up with me performing it for the whole world accidentally,” he laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. “Maybe I’ll still perform it for her, when I go back home.”

Yuuri looks at Ellen for the next question and he feels embarrassed to see her eyes looking slightly watery.

“It clearly was fate, Yuuri. People might say that you and Viktor are a bad match but what do they know, right?”

“Thank you very much.”

“You mentioned the Sochi Grand Prix Final just now, and, only if you feel comfortable, can you tell us about what happened there. Was it just nerves?”

“It’s really not all that unusual for people to do badly at their first Grand Prix, it’s a huge step up from any other competition except for Worlds or the Olympics. It happens all the time just not usually quite so spectacularly, I don’t think. But I’ve always struggled with extreme anxiety and nerves when I perform, it’s hard for me to think that I can skate well with so many people watching me no matter how well I do it in practice. But at that event…” he looks away now, not wanting to look at anyone for fear making eye contact will make his eyes swell with tears again. “At Sochi I got a call in the morning, before my skate, from my sister. My dog was hit by a car that morning and died.”

There’s an intake of breath from the audience and Ellen gasps in surprise.

“I got that dog when I was a child and he was my best friend as I grew. No matter how frustrated or upset I got when I couldn’t get a move right, I could just go home and hug Vicchan and I wouldn’t feel so frustrated any more. He was the best dog in the world. I felt awful when I left him alone to come skate in America, but I tried to ignore the guilt. My sister would let him see me whenever I skyped her and he was able to recognize me through the screen and was always so excited. When she told me the news, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. There are some things in life that you just don’t expect to ever change, and Vicchan was meant to be a constant. It struck me that I’d been so focused on my career and education that I hadn’t even been home to see him, or my family, in four years. Somehow, you just seem to get this idea in your head, this thought that your family will never change, that they’ll always be there waiting for you. In my head Vicchan would always be waiting for me in Hasetsu, so it didn’t matter if I took a bit longer to go home to see him, he would be there… That way of thinking was… really selfish I know now. Vicchan was waiting for me, and that’s why it was even more important that I took the time to go see him when I could, and knowing that I missed all those opportunities made me hate myself. So by the time I performed, I was an awful mix of overwhelming anxiety, grief and self-hatred. My mind wasn’t on the skate at all and it showed. Really I should have probably just withdrawn, but it felt like quitting to withdraw from my first Grand Prix when I might never get another.”

He finally finishes baring his soul, all the thoughts he’s had since that day, and comes out of his reverie to realize Ellen really is crying now, and so are a few of the audience by the sounds of it.

He scrambles to offer her a tissue from the box beside him. “Ah I’m sorry, I just made everything really depressing!!”

Ellen chuckles and tries to smile. “I’m sure Vicchan would be proud of you now Yuuri.”

“Ah, I hope so.”

She sniffles and blows her nose in the tissue before soldiering on. “I can see how it might be a struggle to skate your best after all that.”

Yuuri nods, “Sochi really ruined whatever confidence I had. There were a few smaller competitions after that and I did awfully and that just made everything even worse. When you’re an athlete, no matter where you’re competing, there’s always the knowledge that you’re representing your country. And after performances like that, it felt like I was letting Japan down. And then I bombed at Nationals too, it definitely felt like I was on a downwards streak towards the end of my career.”

“But now?” Ellen asks and there’s almost a tinge of desperation to the question.

“Now, I’ll see what happens. This year I am focusing on my studies, I’ll graduate soon, but after that, well, we’ll see. I’ve tried my old routines again over the last few days and I feel happier performing them now than I have for a long time, so I don’t think I’ve lost my passion yet.”

Ellen seems relieved and perks up more, “And what about you and Viktor? What are your plans?”

Yuuri manages a chuckle. “As I said, I need to focus on my studies and he needs to focus on his skating, no matter what, so neither of us have time right now for any trips unfortunately. I wasn’t even certain about coming here but Viktor, Phichit and my coach convinced me it would be a good idea. Mostly the last few days since everything started having been unbelievably crazy, going from being a relatively well known skater to everyone knowing about me and becoming a meme –I still can’t believe Viktor made me a meme! – it’s taking a while to get used to so I’m just hoping things will settle down a bit soon and I can focus at getting through my coursework and enjoy being back on the ice. It might be a little while until I can see Viktor for real, but we talk every day and it still blows my mind that we could be soulmates! He really is an incredible person.”

Ellen claps her hands and smiles mischievously, “Well your incredible soulmate didn’t just send us a tweet for you today, he’s actually sent a gift for you as well,” she announces and Yuuri turns to look behind him to see someone carrying _the biggest_ bouquet of blue roses he has ever seen, he can’t even tell if it’s a man or a woman holding them as their face is entirely obscured. A woman beside the rose-person is carrying a well-wrapped gift box, complete with blue ribbons on the top.

Yuuri feels his face burn with embarrassed delight as both he and Ellen stand to take the gifts.

Ellen takes the flowers, making a show of batting them out of her face so she can still speak, and Yuuri takes the box and sits it on the table between them.

“Well Yuuri, pfft, would you like to open your gift now?” she says, around a mouth full of petals and the audience cheers in a way that tells Yuuri he’s got no choice but to open it now, even if he had wanted to wait which he doesn’t.

The ribbon pulls away easily, and he holds it tenderly for a moment before slipping it into his pocket.

There’s a cameraman standing just beside him, to capture the moment up close as he slowly opens the box.

His breath catches when it opens and there’s a small fluffy body inside. He reaches in for it and pulls out the extremely soft stuffed toy poodle he’s picked up from the ice after performing in Warsaw. The one that Viktor would have woken up holding the next morning after they switched.

He cuddles it tightly and smiles when he catches the slight smell of the cologne Viktor uses.

“I think there’s something else in there too,” Ellen comments, having finally managed to lay the flowers across her lap instead of holding them in her face.

He checks and she’s right. At the bottom is an envelope which he picks up, surprised by the weight of it. He carefully opens the fold and uses one hand to tip the heavy content into the other.

A medal falls out.

A gold medal.

His hands grasp around it in shock and he thinks his eyes might be slightly teary when he notices the note that also fell out.

_"I think this belongs to you,”_ it reads. _“I’ve kissed it for you and I’ll kiss every medal you ever win, as long as you always stay close to me. Forever yours, Viktor <3”_ and to make it better there’s a paw print beside his signature with Makkachin’s name written beside it too.

Yuuri doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve such an incredible man, but he will be thankful for it every day. 

He lifts the medal to his lips and gently presses them to the cold metal too, hoping it’s the same place that Viktor’s were pressed.

He chuckles, wetly, and looks back at Ellen who is smiling so widely he thinks her face is going to hurt later. “Thank you,” is all he says and she nods, offering him a tissue now before they both stand up and she offers him a hug.

“All of us here wish both you and Viktor the very best for the future Yuuri, we’ll be cheering for you in the future. No matter how well you do we’ll be behind you and I’m sure your Vicchan will be proud of you too,” she tells him and then turns to look at the studio audience, her hands starting to unbutton the shirt she has on, to his confusion.

“Now can we have another round of applause for our wonderful guest Yuuri, he’s been so incredible. I hope that one day we can have both him and Viktor on the show, because I think I might be a little…” she pauses and pulls off her cardigan to show the t-shirt underneath, “Gay For Yuu!” she finishes, with the hashtag also proudly emblazoned on her shirt and Yuuri thinks he wants to die again but all he does instead is laugh and give her one last hug before exiting stage left with the dog and medal in hand and a member of Ellen’s team quickly following with the bouquet.

That wasn’t so bad, he thinks.

 

. . .

 

A screencap of him kissing Viktor’s medal goes viral, and #GAYFORYUU gets capslocked. The internet screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really watch Ellen beside occasionally watching a few videos that catch my attention so I hope I've done her credit.  
> Yuuri was not supposed to go on Ellen, that was 100% not in the plan, and he also was not supposed to become a meme but somehow all that happened... o_O  
> Once again, all twitter handles are entirely made up on the spot, any similarities to real handles is accidental.  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks, as always, for all the reviews!


	6. What'd I Miss?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor still has a Grand Prix Final to compete at.  
> Yuuri has plans...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, I've been overworked for the past week or so and this chapter was not cooperative until tonight. Thank you for all the reviews and kudos and overall support for this fic! I hope you enjoy this chapter!!  
> Thanks again to rippleeffect for explaining the timeline so that this chapter turned into what it is. I had decided to do it this way and then I think you suggested something very similar too haha!

Viktor is in Japan. Not just Japan, Viktor is in Kyushu. Not just Kyushu, Viktor is in Fukuoka, not even an hour away from Yuuri’s hometown Hasetsu. And Yuuri isn’t here with him, having made him promise that he won’t go to introduce himself to his family without him there too. Viktor would have pouted that Yuuri was embarrassed about him, if his soulmate hadn’t said that he, quote, wanted to ‘present him’ to his parents, as if he wants to be there to show off his new soulmate. 

Viktor felt his ego grow even as his eyes teared up slightly at the declaration.

But that left him in this unpleasant situation, in which he can’t go to meet his future parents in law to ask for their approval. He would even take the gold medal he’s planning on winning at the Grand Prix Final to prove his worth to them.

But he can’t, not yet. 

So instead he sulks and spends time on his phone talking to Yuuri to try to take his mind off being here without him. Even if Viktor can’t have his soulmate with him while he competes, he can at least still message and talk to him as much as possible so they don’t feel as far apart. In the weeks since finding each other, it’s been the only thing keeping him from getting on a plane to America and forgetting all about the end of the skating year. Well, that and the disappointed expression that crosses Yuuri’s face every time he even suggests abandoning the Grand Prix.

It helped, a lot, to just see his face and hear his voice every night. At the age of 27, after waiting six years, you start to wonder if it’s too late, if your soulmate has died, or if whatever fate controls the matches just didn’t think anyone was suitable. There are options; people die every day and each time, a soulmate is left behind without the other half of their bond. Some never move on but others look for new partners, usually people who have experienced the same and can offer some support to each other. There’s whole communities dedicated to finding another partner after losing the one made for you. But for people like Viktor, for people who haven’t ever found that one person, it’s not very easy to find someone in those crowds. He tried, when he reached 24. He went to a ‘rebonding’ club where people who have lost their soulmate can meet, to make friends or find a new partner, but the moment anyone found out he just hadn’t found his yet, they would back off, immediately. Some would offer sympathetic (pitying) smiles and a gentle pat on the back. ‘You’ll find whoever they are soon enough,’ they’d say and reassure him the wait would be worth it, but it never felt worth it, when all his friends were finding their match and time continued to pass with no soulmate in sight.

‘It is worth it,’ he thinks to himself as he laces his skates. ‘They were all right, waiting for Yuuri was worth all the years alone.’ Yuuri is the most perfect person he could have ever imagined and none of those people he’d tried to convince to share their love with him would have compared, not with how perfectly Yuuri matches him.

Yuuri is perfect.

Except he’s also perfectly good at being mean, Viktor thinks as he checks his phone again only to find no new messages from the Japanese skater.

Yakov, awful, terrible, Yakov, had phoned Yuuri the night before and they had agreed it would be best that Yuuri kept his distance for the next two days, so Viktor could focus on his skating.

Well, Viktor didn’t agree, not at all, if anyone wants his opinion on the matter.

Viktor would have scoffed if anyone had told him he would be entirely besotted after just a few weeks of having a soulmate, that he would barely be able to function without them, but he thinks it might be true. Even just waking up that morning had been hard without a message from Yuuri to breathe life into him. Yakov had cruelly denied his insistence that he stay in bed until Yuuri convinced him otherwise and threatened to drag him out by the hair (the hair!!) if he didn’t get up by seven.

And now here he is, skates laced on and waiting for the rink to be cleaned so he can practice one last time. 

He’s too frustrated when he gets on the ice. His jumps are technically perfect but there’s a sharp edge to them rather than the elegance he normally demonstrates and Yakov is frowning at him from across the ice. Chris gives him a friendly pat on the back and a ‘Cheer up champ, save your frown for when I steal your gold,’ before skating back off with a spring in his step. Viktor doesn’t even have the motivation to give him sass in return and that just makes his mood plummet even further.

Yuuri would want him to do his best, but even after less than a day without contact from him he feels lonely and depressed in a way he hasn’t experienced until now. He can’t wait for this season to be over so he can go see Yuuri already!

Yakov hands him his phone without protest for once when he leaves the ice, and Viktor is disappointed to find there are still no messages from Yuuri.

He checks instagram to distract himself and the first picture has Yuuri in it. His heart warms a little and a small smile manages to cross his face. Phichit and Yuuri are smiling at him from their rink in Detroit.

_phichit-chu: Quick practice before home to cheer for the bae’s bae #ViktuuriforVictor #Viktuuri #GrandPrixFinal #WinForYuuri_

Yuuri was still cheering for him. That’s the whole reason he’s not messaging him and Viktor straightens up. No way will he make this whole torturous day of no messages worthless by not performing the very best he can.

 

. . .

 

There’s a frustratingly long wait between the practice and his skate, the random allocation of times for the short program placing him near the end of the day, so he’s stuck waiting with only Yakov and, occasionally, Yuri to distract him.

Yuri stops coming when Viktor accidentally asks aloud if he can take that Yuri back and trade it in for a newer model. 

Yakov just groans into his hands and steps outside for a few minutes leaving Viktor to stew in his frustration.

He’s on the phone when he returns and instead of speaking, throws it at Viktor then steps back out and Viktor would be offended if he didn’t figure out what exactly that meant.

“Yuuri!?” he near screams into the phone.

“Ah, Viktor? What’s wrong? Are you ok? Yakov just said I should have to deal with you…”

“Yuuri my prince, the fates are cruel! How am I meant to survive so many years without hearing your voice, without the sound of your breath against my ear, without the words you whisper to me in the dead of night!”

“Viktor!” Yuuri cries and Viktor is sure he’s blushing but doesn’t stop in his waxing.

“Yuuri you are the light of my life, my angel from heaven, the muse of my art! How can I perform when you will not speak to me, not even deign to spare a thought for my suffering!”

“Viktor-”

“Yuuri I need you in my life please find it in your heart to spare a moment of your most valuable time to humour this poor, lonely soul!”

“Viktor! Calm down! You’re ridiculous. What’s got you so worked up?” Yuuri asks with a laugh.

Viktor takes a moment to enjoy the sound; he’s realized today he needs to work harder to commit each sound Yuuri makes to memory, before trying to decide how to answer the question. 

In the end he settles on honesty and eventually whispers into the phone, “I just really miss you right now.”

Yuuri is silent for a moment, just breathing into the phone and only then does Viktor notice the excessive amount of sound around Yuuri.

“I miss you too Viktor, really, but try to get through today. I’ll talk to Yakov and we’ll change the rules, I’m sure he won’t mind if we talk tonight for a little while. Does that sound better?”

Viktor wants to say no but grudgingly nods, willing to take what he can, before remembering he has to vocalize. “I guess so. I still want to talk to you tomorrow too though! I… When I don’t get to speak to you I just feel more frustrated and can’t stop thinking about how much I miss you and would rather be wherever you are than here alone. I’ve never felt lonely like this before, and it’s… I don’t like it.”

“Viktor…” 

He shakes his head, and forcibly continues before Yuuri can say any more.

“I just want to really see you Yuuri. I love skating but I love you more.”

There’s a long silent pause that hangs between them, the ‘L’ word bouncing around in Viktor’s skull as if to pound into his head that he just said it: for the first time ever he has said the ‘L’ word and he doesn’t regret it at all.

“Viktor…”

His face sets at the tender way Yuuri whispers his name.

“I mean it Yuuri, I swear. Maybe for other people it would be too soon, especially when we haven’t even met, but no-one in the world has ever made me feel the way you do. I’ve never had so much purpose before and even though being so far away from you hurts so much I know you’re watching me and supporting me so I promise I’ll do my best! Every medal I win from now on is for you Yuuri. Not just medals, everything I do from now on is for you and I’ll do my best every day to make you proud until we can finally see each other just please wait a bit longer for me and I’ll be there the moment Worlds is finished!”

Yuuri’s breathing is irregular, and Viktor thinks he might have accidentally made Yuuri cry again. 

“Viktor…” he says again and he thinks his heart might damage itself with the way it’s slamming into his rib cage repeatedly, terrified to hear Yuuri’s response.

He’s about to say something himself, anything, to fill the horrible, long silence that is lasting too long but Yuuri whispers to him before he can open his mouth.

“I love you too.”

The words don’t compute for several seconds, and then he thinks he must have just imagined them in his unstable state.

“What?”

“I love you,” Yuuri says, more forcefully this time. “You need to stop thinking about how perfect I am for you and start focusing on how perfect _we_ are for _each other_. That’s a Phichit Life Tip by the way. You are so talented and warm and considerate and I never imagined I would have someone like you to love me and love in return.”

Something wet touches the side of his mouth and Viktor realizes there’s a tear almost at his chin with another on the opposite side making fast progress down his cheek.

“I know that-” Yuuri starts to continue but suddenly there’s a voice in the background of the call, interrupting whatever he was about to say and the sound is muffled.

“Yuuri?” he asks, surprised then a little worried. “Yuuri? Is everything ok?”

There’s the sound of fabric moving and then the sounds of Yuuri’s surroundings come back full force.

“Ah, I’m sorry Viktor,” he says, sounding rather flustered all of a sudden. “I’m just about at pa- uhhh… at the shop! I just need to grab a few things before I go home to watch your skate but I need to get off my phone now! Please focus on your skate, I promise I’ll be watching so do the very best you can!”

Viktor is a little stunned and confused at the sudden change in the conversation, but Yuuri doesn’t sound upset, just hurried, so he tries not to worry about it.

“It’s ok!” he says cheerfully, “I’m so glad I could hear your voice! Please cheer for me today!”

“I will,” Yuuri promises, “I’ll speak to you tonight then. I love you Viktor.”

“I love you too Yuuri,” he says, and it’s less painful to hear the sudden dial tone when he gets to hear Yuuri saying he loves him just before the call ends.

Viktor sits for a few seconds before leaping up from the bench, a sudden wave of energy pouring through him as he goes to find Yakov again. Only two more hours until his skate; he thinks he can keep his mind occupied for that long.

 

. . .

 

He did manage to distract himself. Thankfully there were a few skaters he was well enough acquainted with that he bothered to watch their performances, and only an hour before his skate he decided to pass the time warming up slowly.

Yakov was keeping a careful eye on him still, though, unlike normal, his intent stare would often drift to the phone that hadn’t left his hand since Viktor had returned it to him after speaking with Yuuri. Yakov having his phone on him at all was rare, let alone him keeping a hold of it and frequently checking it. He even smirked slightly a few times after reading a message and Viktor was more than curious about what was going on.

“Is it Lilia?” he asks, finally unable to deny his interest, as he leans against the wall with one leg up by his head.

“No, mind your own business,” is all Yakov grunts in response and rather pointedly shoves the phone into his pocket.

It’s only another five minutes before he pulls it out again and proceeds to slowly type a message back to the mystery recipient.

Yakov’s frown deepens. Viktor’s never seen him look so pleased.

 

. . .

 

Viktor doesn’t think he’s imagining that there’s even more tension than usual as he steps onto the ice. The whole arena seems to be filled with a static charge that leaves tingles down his spine and the little hairs on his neck standing on end.

This is his first performance since the spectacle that was the Warsaw Cup, the first time that he’s skated since his name went from top of the figure skating world to headline news. Viktor doesn’t kid himself, there are more eyes on him today than ever before, not just of skating fans but the eyes of the internet, of people that are enamoured by the changes in his life and of those that despise both him and Yuuri for the attention that’s been directed their way.

Viktor’s been even more social media conscious since this all began, the media attention that their story received surprised even him. So as he skates onto the ice, he knows that there are thousands, perhaps millions of people watching him around the world, and some of them are hoping that he will fail.

He’s used to dealing with the frustration and, yes, sometimes even hatred of other skaters. He’s not used to homophobic assholes on the internet thinking their opinions are worth anything to him.

But all of that, the supporters and the haters, just make him more determined than ever to be the absolute best – he needs to prove his worth today, not really for them, not even really for Yuuri, but to himself. Yuuri thinks he’s worthy of being his soulmate, now Viktor has to start proving it to himself too.

So he skates.

 

. . .

 

The crowd are on their feet when he strikes the final pose, reaching out to an imaginary person just out of his reach, instead of placing his arms across his shoulders as he usually does.

His chest is heaving. He hadn't made many changes to this performance compared to those he's made to his free skate, only a few of the smaller gestures were altered but with that the feeling changed from a desperate kind of love to a welcoming one. Regardless of the changes he’d definitely out-performed any of his past skates.

Flowers and gifts are raining down onto the ice, and the cheering has only gotten louder since it started, he can hear his name being chanted like some sort of magic spell, but Yuuri’s name is being called too and there are banners with both their names on instead of just his! At least half of them also proudly proclaim ‘#GayForYuu’ as well.

He bows to the judges, then to the crowd again and again as they just cheer more and eventually he realizes he has no choice but to just leave the ice to get them to stop. His cheeks hurt, he’s smiling too much and all that he wants is to get his score and beg Yakov to let him talk to Yuuri now rather than later that night.

He turns to the gate and Yakov is waiting there, also smiling so obviously Viktor did even better than he expected.

There’s another man beside Yakov, with a black hoodie pulled up to conceal his head and sunglasses on. Viktor is still half the rink away so he can’t pick out any features he might recognise. The person is too big to be little Yuri and he can’t think of anyone else Yakov or the organisers would let join him at the rink side.

A hand moves up to the edge of the hood and pushes it back to reveal dark hair as the other hand removes the glasses.

Viktor stops dead on the ice, his breath catching and tears coming to his eyes without a moment’s hesitation.

Yuuri is there. 

Yuuri is in Japan, not America, and waiting at the side of the ice for him.

The screams of the crowd multiply several fold but Viktor can’t hear anything anymore, his head is full of static, trying to comprehend what his eyes are telling him.

Yuuri’s lips move and Viktor is still too far away but he knows he’s calling his name, spreading his arms wide.

Viktor doesn’t even notice when he starts moving but the space between them is disappearing and Yuuri is laughing and there are arms wrapped around him from where they’re both lying on the floor, Yuuri underneath him and Viktor realizes he’s babbling Yuuri’s name over and over and doesn’t even care until Yuuri places a finger on his lips to quiet him.

“Viktor,” Yuuri whispers gently to him, “I’m here.”

“You’re here, you’re really here! How are you here? We just talked but you were in America!” he babbles back and Yuuri is so beautiful, just smiling at him even though his questions aren’t making much sense anymore.

A hand slides into his hair and he leans into the touch as Yuuri just smiles at him before leaning up towards him.

“Viktor,” Yuuri purrs his name, and Viktor can feel his warm breath fanning across his face and thinks the warmth is very pleasant after spending so long in the cold ice rink. “Can I kiss you?”

Viktor’s brain must be melting out his ears because it definitely isn’t working at the speed it should. The words echo back and forth in his empty skull several times before he manages to nod and Yuuri’s hand slides from his hair down to his chin. The fingers caress the length of his jaw and Viktor would be entranced by the feel of that alone if Yuuri hadn’t taken that moment to lean in and press their lips together.

Yuuri’s warm. Everything about him, from his fingers and his lips to his eyes and his heart, he feels like the warmth of home after a long day at the rink.

Their lips, together, feels like… an indescribable love and he doesn’t want the kiss to end because he wants to feel that way forever.

The kiss does end, but Yuuri is smiling at him and his heart still feels like it could burst if he isn’t careful. (He doesn’t want to be careful!)

Yuuri carefully shuffles them both into a sitting position and Viktor does his best to hinder his efforts as much as he can until Yakov gets a hand under his armpit and hauls him backwards off Yuuri’s lap.

He fires a pout at Yakov who just laughs at him (laughs! At him!) but then Yuuri is on his knees with Viktor’s abandoned skate guards and gently slipping each one into place and Viktor can’t be mad when Yuuri is there, because have you _seen_ how perfect his soulmate is?

The audience is still screaming, Viktor thinks some of them are crying, but all he cares about is Yuuri, who pulls him to his feet and then walks him over to the kiss and cry, one hand still locked with his and the other gently curving around his waist. 

He wonders to himself if it’s possible to go into shock because of good surprises?

They sit together in the kiss and cry, Yakov is waiting off to the side, and Viktor is definitely taking that as permission to kiss Yuuri as much as possible.

There are tears in Yuuri’s eyes when he pulls back from peppering his face with kisses and Viktor just smiles at him because he understands completely.

“I can’t believe you’re here… how did you…”

“When Yakov phoned, I was just on my way out of Fukuoka airport. I got a flight last night from Detroit straight here and that’s really why I couldn’t talk to you. Yakov agreed to play the bad guy and tell you we weren’t allowed to talk because of the competition so I could sneak over and surprise you. I owe my family $500 and Phichit another $400 but how could I make you wait months to see me?”

Viktor takes Yuuri’s hand, the one not still wrapped around his waist, and puts it over his own heart, “You make me so happy Yuuri, I’m so pleased you’re here.”

Yuuri is the one to jump him this time, pressing their lips together and nibbling teasingly at Viktor’s lower lip before pulling back with a look that is a beautiful mix of shy and sensual.

“I still can’t even...” Viktor mumbles before a thought strikes him, “But what about instagram! Phichit posted a picture of the two of you just a few hours ago! How did he…”

Yuuri laughs at his wide eyed expression, “We took that photo yesterday, we planned everything together so you wouldn’t know! You always said you like surprises! Oh, that reminds me!” he whips his phone out and before Viktor can even pose, snaps a selfie of them both, “For Phichit, that was the deal.”

Viktor turns to Yakov, still a few metres away, to beg for his phone but then Yuuri is grabbing his arm in excitement as the announcer’s voice fills the stadium.

He’d almost forgotten about his scores and, oh! He’s broken his own record again!

Yuuri is cheering and Viktor usually blows kisses and winks at the camera but right now he can only stare at Yuuri with complete adoration. 

“Here,” something is pushed into his hands and he recognises it at a glance as his own phone that Yakov must have given to Yuuri earlier. “You can take a selfie too now if you want.”

Viktor does want.

He holds his phone out and then tilts Yuuri’s face to his and presses their lips together as he snaps a few photos.

He wants to take more but Yakov is at his shoulder again, nodding at Yuuri and then the two of them are shuffling him away from the arena.

“Let’s get out of here before any more reporters show up…” Yuuri says, as if only suggesting the idea when they’re already half way out of the building. “You can do a proper press conference tomorrow after the competition’s over” ‘and you’ve won gold’ was implied.

They pass a few other skaters on their way out, many of whom offer their congratulations to Viktor on his lead and a few on their relationship. Soon they’re at the door that leads out of the competitor area and into the public halls. Already there are a lot of voices waiting and, subconsciously, all three of them stand a little straighter in preparation.

Yuuri is the one to push the door open, and there is all of two seconds before the flashes of many cameras going off at once blind them. When Viktor manages to open his eyes again there are more reporters than he ever imagined all shouting questions at them, so much so that he can’t distinguish any individual words.

They push through the door to the outside world and there are fewer reporters and more space but already they can see it decreasing as fans join the crowd.

Yakov is a force to be reckoned with though, and with one hand on Viktor’s shoulder and the other on Yuuri’s, he pushes them straight through the crowd and into a waiting taxi, shouting the address at the driver before turning back to hold the crowd at bay.

The driver, startled, quickly puts the car into gear and pulls away, perhaps concerned that the grouchy Russian will throw him from the vehicle if he delays.

Yuuri apologizes as he buckles his seatbelt and the man’s eyes lock on him in the mirror and widen in recognition for a moment before he nods in acceptable and offers a slightly shaky smile.

Yuuri turns back to Viktor, who looks slightly dazed in shock, and reaches across to do his seatbelt up too as Viktor seems to shake himself back to reality.

“That was… so much fun! Tell the driver to go back, Yuuri! I want to go see all the fans and reporters!” he says, turning to look out the rear window in the hopes of spotting the crowd again but the taxi has already turned the corner and he sits back down with a pout.

“Viktor…” Yuuri starts, faint at the prospect of wanting to deal with such crazed people, “Let’s let them calm down a bit first please, I don’t know if I can handle so many people at once right now…”

Viktor catches the anxious note in his voice and nods seriously, “Ok Yuuri, whenever you’re ready. We can hide away together for years and I won’t mind as long as you’re there too!”

Yuuri blushes, because Viktor just says the most pure and honest things without any filters and Yuuri isn’t quite used to such forthright compliments being given to him. 

“Why don’t you post that selfie to your instagram and I’ll explain the plan to you?” he suggests instead of replying to Viktor’s comment and Viktor immediately jumps at the idea, his phone materializing in his hand in an instant.

“So I talked with my professors, blitzed through some work, and I’ve managed to wrangle a ten day break out of them to come see you. After that they said I need to be back at it otherwise I’ll fall too far behind. Coach said it was fine too as long as I get some practice in while I’m away.”

“We can practice together Yuuri!” Viktor chimes, looking more excited about the prospect than Yuuri thinks it deserves. “I can’t wait to see you skate again!”

“Well I’m not that good but I’ll try,” he offers, rubbing the back of his head.

Viktor leans in to him, fingers curling around his chin and lips whispering against his, “I think you’re much better than you give yourself credit for Yuuri. And I’m going to make sure you know it too, no matter what I have to do.” The words are full of promise and Viktor’s eyes are ablaze with determination before he closes them as he presses a kiss against Yuuri’s lips and pulls back.

“Ah… ok,” Yuuri stutters, redder than before. “Well anyway, we’ll be visiting my family in Hasetsu for the next four days, then heading back to Saint Petersburg for another five days, I hope that’s ok?”

“That’s perfect Yuuri! I can’t believe you planned all this without telling me!” he replies, instantly switching back from sensual whispers to bouncy exclamations. “Now I can meet Vicchan and you can meet Makkachin!”

He continues to describe everything they can do and how excited he is to meet Yuuri’s family so soon but that also he didn’t pack any of his best clothes and maybe he needs to buy some new ones so he can make a good impression rather than go in the rags he has (Yuuri is 100% sure nothing Viktor owns could be even slightly construed as ‘rags’) but Yuuri just smiles to himself and lets him babble, he really has the most adorable soulmate in the world.

“You think I’m adorable?” Viktor asks suddenly.

Whoops. “You really are pretty cute Viktor, you get so excited about everything and it’s very endearing,” he explains.

Viktor is silent, staring at him in shock with a slight flush across his perfectly sculpted cheeks.

“Oh.”

A second later he’s typing furiously on his phone again and Yuuri can only imagine what’s being put on his social media now. He’ll check later, he decides, as they pull up at the hotel and Yuuri sorts the correct change for the driver, Viktor suddenly peering over his shoulder to look at the notes.

Yuuri pulls his hood up before getting out of the taxi, turning to do the same to Viktor’s Russian hoodie too (which isn’t the most discreet) and placing a quick kiss on his nose when he pouts in response.

They shuffle into the hotel and collect Viktor’s key from the reception without much fanfare beyond the knowing gaze of the hotel staff, unsurprisingly the news has spread fast, and make their way to Viktor’s room.

Yuuri’s luggage is already waiting for him, thanks to Yakov’s arrangements, but Yuuri doesn’t have much time to appreciate the Russian coach’s work before Viktor is spinning him to face him and pulling him in to a very heated, passionate kiss.

Their lips caress each other, mouths moving in sync. Yuuri bites Viktor’s lower lip again, something he’s finding he rather enjoys doing, but this time Viktor’s tongue slips out in return to tease Yuuri’s lower lip and then slip passed it. Their tongues rub together and Yuuri can only groan at the fresh taste of mint that Viktor’s tongue traces through his mouth. 

He groans again, this time in disappointment, when Viktor pulls back and just stares at him with a wide, dazed smile.

“You’re really here.”

“I am, I’m here and I’ve never been happier than I am right now,” Yuuri says, cupping Viktor’s cheek in his palm and leaning forward to press their foreheads together.

“I want to be with you every day for the rest of my life,” he continues, “but if that isn’t possible right now I’ll count down every day until it is.”

Viktor smiles beatifically at his declaration and presses a soft kiss to his lips, then again and again until they’re kissing desperately again.

Yuuri distantly wonders if things might go any further, but then a loud grumble destroys the moment and Viktor pulls back, flushed brighter than Yuuri has ever seen.

“Ah… I’m hungry,” he says a little self-consciously, with an apologetic shrug.

“Me too, but I really want to freshen up first. Let’s order room service and then I’ll-”

“Let’s go out for dinner!” Viktor announces, cutting Yuuri off.

“Um, Viktor I don’t know if that’s the best idea… We barely escaped the press and fans before so maybe tonight we should just stay in…” Yuuri suggests, trailing off when Viktor wilts in disappointment.

“I just… I really want to take you out for dinner, Yuuri. You deserve a real, nice date for our first evening together!” Viktor says so sincerely it hurts.

“But Yakov made me promise that…” Viktor’s shoulders droop, his head hangs low and he hunches in on himself and Yuuri feels like the worst soulmate in existence. “Oh well maybe there’s somewhere nearby that we could sneek into…” he offers and the honest hope on Viktor’s face is a deathblow for all sense and logic.

‘Sorry Yakov’ Yuuri thinks as he pulls up his phone to look for good nearby restaurants to phone, but one look at Viktor’s face destroys any regrets, ‘How am I meant to say no to this?’

 

. . .

 

While Yuuri researches and makes enquiries, Viktor checks his instagram and twitter.

Phichit has posted the selfie Yuuri took and it’s unreasonably adorable, if you ask Viktor.

_phichit+chu: We fooled you all! Perfect couple! #GayForYuu #Goals #Viktuuri_

He likes it and saves the photo for himself.

His own selfie has tens of thousands of likes already, and many comments from gushing fans.

_v-nikiforov: Best. Surprise. Ever! #GayForYuu #ICantBelieveIt #HesHere #Viktuuri #soulmates #YuuriIsPerfect_

And his twitter is exploding after his last post…

_v-nikiforov: @KatsukiYuuri says that I’m the most adorable soulmate but I think he is!! #GayForYuu #soulmates #HesTooPerfect #Viktuuri_

Viktor puts his phone down when Yuuri hangs up his call – social media can wait for now, he has much more important things to focus on…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I will be eternally thankful if you leave a review on your way out!


	7. That Would Be Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes before we begin – to clarify, the skate in the last chapter was Viktor’s short programme, not Stay Close To Me, sorry for any confusion I’ve edited the last chapter a little to make that more clear.
> 
> With regards to the timeline, in the anime the Grand Prix is at Sochi, and then the next is at Barcelona. In real life, it went Sochi, Fukuoka then Barcelona so I’ve just fitted that extra GP in the middle and also, accidentally, altered the timeline so Viktor is skating SCTM THIS season rather than last so apologies for messing that up!  
> I hope that makes sense.
> 
> Somehow this fic has turned into just a giant fluff-fest… no regrets. This fic is so out of control though, this chapter was meant to be day two of the GPF but it's not x_x
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

_**Viktuuri at the Grand Prix?**_

_The Grand Prix Final in Fukuoka this year still has a day to go before a winner is crowned, but favourite Viktor Nikiforov is already winning big with the surprise appearance of his soulmate, Yuuri Katsuki, at the rinkside following his record-breaking short program performance._

_Judging by the reaction of the Russian skater, it is apparent that Katsuki had not forewarned him of his arrival, and instead taken the initiative in surprising his new soulmate._

_The pair made headlines around the world after their surprise Switch at a previous competition in which Katsuki flawlessly executed Nikiforov’s famously difficult routine, and captured the hearts of viewers everywhere only a few weeks ago._

_Heartstrings were pulled when Katsuki appeared on The Ellen Show and announced that, sadly, he and Nikiforov would not be able to meet for several months due to their equally busy schedules._

_Many of us are reevaluating our thoughts on the quiet, Japanese skater, after the revelation that his statement was a bold face lie to hide his surprise trip from Nikiforov._

_We might not be the only ones, if the tweets released by Ellen since then are any indication:_

_TheEllenShow: @KatsukiYuuri YOU LIED TO ME YOU SNEAKY LITTLE BALL OF FLUFF!!! #GayForYuu_

_TheEllenShow: @KatsukiYuuri You had me almost in tears and turns out you were just playing with my heart all along! #GayForYuu_

_TheEllenShow: @KatsukiYuuri @v-nikiforov The only way you can make it up to me is if you both come on the show soon! #GayForYuu_

_Forgiveness might, indeed, be rather easy to give in this case, because just one look at the way Viktor’s face fills with emotion is enough to cause even our frozen hearts to beat again in happiness for the happy couple._

_Neither skater was available for comments last night, however Nikiforov’s coach, Yakov Feltsman, offered a short statement following their exit from the arena last night._

_“Viktor is delighted to have Yuuri with him, and I can clarify that this was a huge surprise for him that Yuuri prepared secretly with the help of very few people. Both will be available for your questions tomorrow evening, after the Grand Prix Final has concluded, but for now they will be spending a quiet night with each other and they hope that you will respect their wishes for privacy as they really meet each other for the first time. That is all.”_

_News on the ‘Viktuuri’ couple will be posted as it happens but for now, check out the video below to see the surprise as it happened!_

 

. . .

 

_killuascua: OH MY GOD DID HE JUST?!?!!?!?!?!?!??! #GayForYuu #Viktuuri #MyBabies_

_johnthegreatandmighty: MY LIFE IS OVER I THINK MY HEART JUST EXPLODED GOODBYE WORLD #GayForYuu #RelationshipGoals_

_downwiththethickness: WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE SUCH INNOCENT JOY IN MY LIFE??? #GayForYuu_

_doushitesakurachan: I just woke up but I think I might just go back to bed, nothing can beat this #GayForYuu_

_cptcinnabunny: THEY JUST LOVE EACH OTHER SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!! #GayForYuu_

_daviddoesntski: Someone needs to look at me the way Viktor looks at Yuuri #GayForYuu_

_handsonandy: THE WAY YUURI JUST OPENS HIS ARMS FOR VIKTOR TO JUMP INTO THEM GIVES ME LIFE!!!!!! #GayForYuu_

_peanutsontoast: soulmates of the year #GayForYuu_

 

. . .

 

Yuuri tugs self-consciously at the collar of his shirt. It’s a nice one, and he’d feel rather confident in it, if not for three things. Number one – he’s not long off a plane and even after his shower he stills feels a bit grimy. Number two – because he’d just gotten off a flight, the shirt had come straight out of his suitcase and, as well as he’d packed it, there’s still a number of wrinkles that he can’t quite ignore. And finally, number three – Viktor is sat across from him, looking, as always, like a movie star in a slim fitting, navy suit that highlights the colour of his eyes. 

They’re sat in a small booth in the back of one of the nicest restaurants in Fukuoka, the shadowy alcove mostly hidden from the view of the other patrons. The staff had even been obliging enough to let them use the back door, of which Yuuri had been especially thankful after sneaking around a few reporters on their way out of the hotel. Yakov will be so disappointed in him!

A hand clasping his above the table distracts him from his panicked thoughts and Viktor offers him a concerned smile.

“Is everything ok, Yuuri? If you’re too tired we can just go back to the hotel – I didn’t even think about how tired you must be after your flight…”

He flusters, waving his free, left hand back and forth in denial, “No, no, I’m fine, really! Well, a little tired but I want to have dinner with you!” 

Viktor looks a bit uncertain so Yuuri flips his right hand over to clasp Viktor’s, palm to palm and smiles, “Really Viktor. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than on a date with you right now.”

Viktor’s eyes close for a moment and he takes a deep breath, as if to cope with some overwhelming emotion, then he smiles at Yuuri, lifting his hand from the table to press a kiss against his knuckles.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with you, for the rest of my life. I’m so happy right now Yuuri.”

The waitress comes back with the bottle of champagne Viktor ordered before they were even seated and neither Viktor nor Yuuri even thinks of separating their hands from where they’re once again set on the table, clasped resolutely together.

Yuuri orders for them both, at Viktor’s insistence that he’ll try anything and she quickly leaves them alone again.

Yuuri watches Viktor, watching him. 

“I…” he pauses, “I really don’t know what to say, this all still feels unreal” he laughs, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Viktor’s smile gets warmer and his thumb starts to gently caress Yuuri’s knuckles, “You’re the one who planned everything Yuuri, if it feels unreal to you, it really _must_ be a dream for me! I won’t accept any of this is real until I wake up tomorrow and you’re still here,” he announces firmly.

“I promise I will be,” Yuuri replies. “After all, I came all this way to watch you win another gold so there’s no way I’m leaving before then! Plus my sister has already got a room at the onsen ready for us and I think she’d really kill me if I didn’t bring you around to meet everyone…”

“I’ll do the very best I can then, so I have something to show so your sister’s efforts aren’t wasted on me. I can’t wait to show you how I’ve improved Stay Close To Me since the last time I performed it, even with only a few weeks, I’ve been more motivated than ever!”

“I can’t wait!” Yuuri says sincerely.

“Tell me about your hometown again, Yuuri?” Viktor asks after several moments of silence that didn’t feel awkward or strained at all. “I’m so excited to go in the onsen, I’m going to take lots of pictures to put on instagram!”

“Ah, I’m sorry Viktor, but you’re not allowed to take pictures in the onsen because other people use it too,” Yuuri says, apologetically, “if you want to take pictures of naked men you can do that elsewhere,” he jokes before flushing with realisation when he notices the way Viktor wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

“Can I take some naughty, naked pictures of you then Yuuri?” Viktor asks salaciously, making sure to catch Yuuri’s eye as he licks his lip.

Yuuri’s hand comes up to wave frantically in front of him, the one clasped in Viktor’s almost yanking free before Viktor clenches it against the table to keep it where it is.

“Ah no, that’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean that…” he cuts off at the sound of Viktor’s laugh, red flushing across his cheeks at the realization he’s being teased. “But, well, if you want to, maybe some day we could…” he suggests with even darker cheeks but he smiles too when Viktor’s laughing suddenly stops and his soulmate stares wide-eyed at him.

It takes Viktor several moments to gather himself, and Yuuri takes a measured sip of his champagne because he thinks he’ll need it for whatever is about to come out of Viktor’s mouth.

“So you will let me take sexy pictures of you, Yuuri? Tempting, very tempting, but I don’t know if you’ll be as hot and sweaty as the men in the onsen would be…” he trails off with a smirk as Yuuri chokes on his drink.

He manages to swallow before firing back, “Depends how hard you work, doesn’t it?” and Viktor’s smile only grows.

“I absolutely adore you, Yuuri,” he says and there’s not a single hint that he’s lying, from his tone of voice to the besotted look on his face and Yuuri’s face flushes more from the honest declaration than from the dirty jokes they’d been throwing back and forth between them before.

“I know, I love you too Viktor, even if you _don't_ win gold tomorrow.”

Viktor looks affronted at the very suggestion and he begins to excitedly reassure Yuuri of his guaranteed victory until the waitress arrives with their food not long after.

Viktor exclaims over the delicious food for the first few bites but falls quiet not long after. Yuuri looks up at him, surprised to see a pensive frown on his face, leaving a few wrinkles between his eyebrows.

Before he even thinks about it, Yuuri leans over the table, cups Viktor’s head with his hand and rubs his thumb over the wrinkled skin.

“What’s wrong Viktor?” he asks, barely even noticing the awkward hunched position he’s in to stare intently into Viktor’s eyes.

“Ah it’s just silly, don’t worry about it.”

Yuuri frowns at the way Viktor tries to wave his concern off. “If something worries you Viktor then it’s not silly. Please tell me?”

Viktor seems taken-a-back for a second. “It’s nothing really, I’m just getting a bit nervous…”

“About your performance?” Yuuri asks, understandingly but Viktor shakes his head.

“Oh no, not that, I’m sure I’ll do fine on the ice, but, well… what if your parents don’t like me?”

“Oh Viktor…” There’s nothing for it now. Yuuri scoots out of his side of the table and squeezes into the other side of the booth to wrap his arms around Viktor’s shoulders and pull him into a hug. “They’ll absolutely love you, not just because you’re an absolutely amazing person, but also because you make me really happy and that’s what’s important to them, they just want me to have a happy life doing the thing I love with someone I love.” 

He presses kisses to Viktor’s hair as he speaks then rests his forehead against Viktor’s when the Russian finally turns to look at him.

“My parents work really hard, they’ve been running the onsen for over forty years now. For the last… twelve of so years a lot of the money they’ve made has gone towards me, to let me do what I want with my life and skate because it makes me happy.”

He pulls away to stare Viktor in the eye as he continues, “ _You_ make me happy Viktor, and they don’t even have to pay you for that, so I am 100% certain that they’ll make you part of the family before you know it!” he promises then places a quick, gentle kiss on Viktor’s lips once he’s smiling again.

He shuffles back to this side of the table, trying to ignore the curious eyes of the waitress as she walks past to another table because Viktor is happy again, and that’s all that matters.

He takes his seat again, still smiling at Viktor before a thought hits him and he verbalises it without thinking, “Besides, it’s not really my parents you have to worry about. I’d be much more concerned about Mari and Minako-sensei if I were you.”

Viktor lets out a tiny moan of despair before collapsing onto the table beside his food.

 

. . .

 

Viktor insists on dessert and then also on feeding Yuuri across the table. Normally he would have protested, but between the sudden-onset of jetlag and all the good food he's eating, he’s suddenly starting to have difficulty keeping his eyes fully open.

He barely even notices when Viktor excuses himself to the bathroom, only startling when Viktor returns and gently prods him awake again.

“Ok I think it’s time to get you home, up you come,” Viktor says, gently easing Yuuri out of his chair and to his feet then carefully tucking him into his jacket and a scarf he doesn’t recognise. It smells nice though. It smells very nice, he thinks and proceeds to breath heavily to absorb as much of the smell as possible.

The cold air hits him like an electric shock, helping him wake up enough to realise Viktor is practically carrying him along the pavement as all Yuuri’s weight is leaning into the arm wrapped around him.

A sudden thought startles him awake, “Viktor, the bill!”

Viktor hushes him and pulls him back against him, “Don’t worry, I sorted it while you were sleeping, let’s just get home.”

“But I was going to pay,” he grumbles half-heartedly, more interested in snuggling back against Viktor cause he smells just as good as the scarf, better even!

“Yuuri, you just paid however much money to fly across the world to come see me, I think I owe you a fair bit more than a single dinner!”

Yuuri grumbles but doesn’t bother complaining.

They walk in silence for a few minutes, Yuuri letting his eyes slip closed once more, confident that the arm wrapped around him and the body he’s pressed against will keep him safe.

“We’re getting close to the hotel, we’ll need to be quick to get past the reporters…” Viktor says but Yuuri is too tired to properly understand the words. Or the thoughtful tone they’re spoken with. Or notice the scheming look Viktor gives him…

“Hmm?” he asks, going to open an eye when suddenly the world is tilting around him and he throws his arms out desperately for purchase. One finds a shoulder while the other flounders in the air.

A shoulder that really shouldn’t be in that position.

The three seconds it takes Yuuri to realise what just happened are the same three seconds Viktor takes to sort his grip on Yuuri, before he’s sprinting down the street to the hotel.

Passing all the waiting reporters who start to scream questions at them.

With Yuuri held in his arms.

Bridal style.

Also screaming.

 

. . .

 

When Viktor carries him into their room all of five minutes later they’re both panting, Viktor from the effort of running with Yuuri in his arms, and Yuuri from a mix of horror and exhilaration.

‘Well that will give the press something to talk about for now,’ he thinks in shock.

Viktor finally drops him down on the bed and collapses beside him, almost desperately panting for breath.

Yuuri stares at him as the gasping turns into giggles and then all out laughter.

“Viktor… you’re completely crazy,” he whispers in disbelieve.

Viktor laughs harder, makes several attempts at responding but inevitably fails to speak through the peals of laughter and soon enough Yuuri is chuckling along with him.

God he can’t wait to see the photos the press got of their desperate sprint to the hotel!

When they finally manage to stop, Yuuri rolls onto his side to look at Viktor. There’s a misty look in his eyes, obviously his thoughts are far away right now, and a smile on his face. 

It’s only when he leans forward to press a kiss against his cheek that the light reflects off the tears trailing from his eyes.

He freezes.

“Viktor?”

“Hmm?” Viktor replies, turning to look at him and Yuuri gently raises a hand to brush the tears away and leans in to kiss his lips.

“You’re crying,” he whispers when he pulls back, no more than a few inches.

Viktor’s eyes widen in surprise and he raises a hand instinctively to check.

“I guess…” he hesitates and shakes the thought away before trying again, “I don’t think I’ve been this happy in a long time. I don’t think I’ve really even been happy _at all_ for a year at least. Everything became so grey and dull and still.”

He’s staring straight into Yuuri’s eyes as he confesses his thoughts and Yuuri’s heart breaks at the honest suffering and loneliness he sees.

“But you’re so bright and beautiful and full of movement and life, Yuuri! The way you move is mesmerizing and suddenly everything around me feels fresh and new and exciting again. I didn’t even notice how miserable I felt but not even a day with you and I feel like a whole new person!”

More tears slip down his face but he’s smiling more than ever too, and laughs at himself, “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying, pretty ridiculous, right?”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learnt more than anything else from skating, Viktor,” Yuuri starts, his face serious and eyes intent as he stares back at Viktor, “it’s that it’s ok to cry if you need to. You don’t think I’m ridiculous when I cry, do you?” he asks rhetorically but Viktor slowly shakes his head ‘no’ anyway. “I’m not the stronger person, Viktor, I cry a lot, I get anxious a lot, but that doesn’t mean that you always have to be the strong one Viktor. I want to support and help you too! So if you want to cry then cry, just let me be here to hold you tight and make you happy again, too! I think between the two of us, nothing in the world is too big to overcome!”

Viktor smile grows with each sentence he says, and the moment Yuuri finishes speaking, forcing himself not to blush at making such a sentimental speech, Viktor rushes forward to lock their lips together almost desperately.

Yup, Yuuri is definitely going to get used to this…

 

. . .

 

Eventually they shuffle, sleepily through a very abbreviated version of their night time routines. Yuuri stumbles to the bed first, in an old rumpled t-shirt and pyjama pants and snuggles into the thick duvet. Somehow he manages to peer blearily at Viktor as he emerges from the ensuite, apparently not bothering with a shirt.

Yuuri hums appreciatively and Viktor winks at him in response, before over-dramatically crawling up the bed. Yuuri laughs and then lets out an ‘oomph’ when Viktor flops down on top of him and nuzzles his nose into Yuuri’s neck.

“Yuuri?”

“Viktor?” he asks to show he’s listening.

“Together, let’s take over the world.”

“Hmm, ok Viktor. We’ll start tomorrow, when you win the gold.”

Viktor seems content with that and finally rolls off him, letting Yuuri shuffle over so he’s lying with his head on Viktor’s chest. Almost instinctively, Viktor’s hand rises to stroke through his hair, petting him like a cat and Yuuri wishes he could purr in satisfaction.

“Viktor?” Yuuri asks sleepily.

“Yes Yuuri?”

“Take a picture of us?” he requests but refuses to loosen his grip on Viktor’s torso at all, leaving the Russian to grope blindly behind him for his phone.

After a few moments of fruitless searching, his fingers brush it and he manages to scoop it up.

“Ready?” he asks, holding the camera above them both and Yuuri shifts very slightly and blinks an eye open to look at the camera.

“Ok,” he says and Viktor quickly snaps the picture. “Now go post it on your instagram then throw your phone away and get back to stroking me,” he demands and Viktor has no choice but to do as he’s told. (Not that he would choose any other option…)

When he finishes posting the picture several minutes later, Yuuri’s breath is tingling across his chest, soft and even, every few seconds.

Viktor smiles at the image they make together, and then gently puts his phone and Yuuri’s glasses on the table before carefully stretching out to turn off the bedside lamp. Yuuri doesn’t move at all, and in a short minute Viktor is asleep too, his hand gently holding Yuuri’s where it’s resting above his heart.

 

. . .

 

Yuuri’s eyes open blearily in the morning to an insistent ringing sound that he doesn’t immediately recognise. He does recognise the sound of Viktor groaning as he rolls away from him to hide his head under a pillow.

The ringing stops.

Viktor lets out a sigh of relief in the ensuing silence the split second before it is broken again and Yuuri finally manages to place the sound as Viktor’s phone.

He leans over Viktor to grab it but Viktor’s arms shoot out of the duvet suddenly to wrap around his waist and pull him down into a tight embrace so he can pepper kisses all over his face.

Yuuri struggles half-heartedly but fingers soon find their way under his loose t-shirt and he can’t help squealing when they rub gently over a ticklish spot.

He laughs and cries until Viktor takes pity on him, and by then he’s forgotten about the phone completely. Viktor pulling him down into a good morning kiss certainly doesn’t jog his memory at all, though he has no objections.

The kiss starts off soft and tender but continues long enough that Viktor’s hands start to not-so-innocently wander from his waist. Yuuri shifts very slightly for a better position, stilling when Viktor lets out a rather guttural groan that affects Yuuri in a primal way.

He shifts again, and Viktor shifts under him, until Yuuri can rather clearly feel hard flesh pressing against his stomach through a layer of fabric.

An image flashes through his head, rather temptingly, and he licks his lips nervously before opening his mouth to ask…

“Viktor… can I…”

There’s a sudden bang on the door, followed by a sequence of bangs then a loud, distinctly Russian, voice shouts and Yuuri tumbles off the bed in shock when Viktor suddenly sits up, looking anxious.

The shouts switch from Russian to English and Yuuri cringes when he recognises Yakov’s angry voice.

“Yuuri let me in so I can put that idiot Viktor in his place!! You promised me you’d have a quiet night and what did I find when I woke up? Pictures of the two of you acting like fools!! All over the internet!! Now you will open this door right now Viktor, or you won’t see your phone for _months_!”

Yakov’s threats are, apparently, rarely empty, if the way Viktor jumps out of bed is anything to go by, but instead of heading to the door, he staggers around in search of something before finally scooping his phone up from where it’s been knocked to the floor. Within seconds he’s apparently found what he’s after and squeals in delight before turning to Yuuri.

“Yuuri! Look at how adorable we are! They’re all over twitter everyone thinks we’re adorable again!!”

“Ah maybe we should let Yakov in?” he asks, but obligingly takes the phone being shoved in his face and agrees they do look rather cute.

The picture, with many, MANY retweets, shows Yuuri in Viktor’s arms, rushing past the reporters from the previous night. Viktor is laughing gaily and Yuuri notes his own face is trying to look passive and unimpressed but he obviously couldn’t resist laughing along.

He checks a few comments beneath the picture and flushes in happiness.

_luciwho: Ok, where do I find a man like this?? #GayForYuu #Goals_

_pandabanda: Still waiting for my Viktor to come and sweep me off my feet #GayForAnyoneReally #IWantASoulmate #Viktuuri_

_KillWill: They met for the first time like three hours before this, how is it possible to be so perfect for each other? #GayForYuu #Viktuuri_

_Handmeashovel: @KillWill it’s probably all staged, they needed to do something to get attention again…_

_christophe-gc: wonder where they’re going so fast ;) #GayForYuu #soulmatesoftheyear_

_christophe-gc: @v-nikiforov better not be limping today…_

Viktor’s arms wrap around his shoulders from behind and he places his chin on his shoulder as Yuuri moves on from the comments and clicks the link below the picture to read what the reporter has said about their night out.

_**Future is bright for Nikiforov/Katsuki soulmates** _

_After the emotional first meeting between the two, now famed, skaters yesterday afternoon, and the statement issued by Mr Feltsman, it was expected that not much would be seen of the soulmated duo until this morning, however apparently nobody informed them of this plan, if the sight of them dashing back to the hotel late last night is any indication._

_The pair was pictured returning to their hotel last night, after presumably having a meal together in the city._

_Noteworthy, however, is the way Viktor brazenly carried Yuuri in his arms as the two dashed back to the hotel, in what is conventionally called ‘bridal style’. Could church bells be on the horizon for the new couple already?_

_The pair ignored all questions directed towards them last night, so we will have to wait until this afternoon to get any answers to these questions and more, but for now we can all appreciate the happiness they are enjoying together in the pictures below. Perhaps the calls for the pair to be named 'soulmates of the year' aren't as premature as some are saying..._

He snorts in amusement as he reaches the pictures at the end of the article before going back to twitter to read more comments, content to stand quietly in Viktor’s arms for a few minutes and enjoy the peaceful, happy mood that has settled around them, when something occurs to him.

“…Is Yakov still at the door?”

The way Viktor’s face pales in horror implies he had also forgotten about the other Russian and that leaving him waiting does not bode well.

(Indeed it doesn’t and Viktor can only hope his coach forgets all about it after Viktor wins gold…)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment with any comments or questions if the timeline is still confusing! Sorry for messing it up... (or any mistakes I've made!!)
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr (or twitter) too! My main tumblr is captaincinnabunny (twitter @cptcinnabunny) though I don't have much time to post on there anymore, I do try to post pics of new merch I get every now and then...


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